1. Thermogravimetric analysis of the fuel
properties of Empty Fruit Bunch briquettes
Bemgba Bevan Nyakuma, Anwar Johari,
Arshad Ahmad, Tuan Amran Tuan Abdullah

2. • Introduction
• Materials & Methods
• Results & Discussion
• Conclusion
Contents
2

3. Introduction
3
• Palm oil production in Malaysia generates large quantities of
lignocellulosic biomass.
– shell, kernel, fronds &empty fruit bunches (EFB).
• Biomass is an environmentally friendly & sustainable source of
energy.
– Converted into liquid, gas & solid fuels
– via Pyrolysis, Gasification, promising technologies for
valorising palm waste
• Understanding of physical & thermochemical properties
– properties influence the operating conditions, gas yield &
composition

4. 4
Aim of Study
Analyse the thermochemical properties of Empty
Fruit Bunch (EFB) briquettes using thermogravimetric
analysis (TGA).

5. Materials & Methods
5
• Briquettes pulverization  high speed crusher machine.
• Ultimate analysis  Elemental composition, CHNSO.
• Proximate analysis  Moisture content, Volatile matter, Ash,
Fixed carbon.
• Higher Heating value (HHV)  bomb calorimetry.
• Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopic (FTIR).
• Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA)  thermal decomposition
behaviour  10 C/min heating rate.

6. Results & Discussion
6

7. Results & Discussion
7
TGA/DTG curve of EFB Briquette

8. Results & Discussion
8
• Broad O-H stretching  3200 and 3400 cm-1 
Alcohols.
• Medium intensity band  2368 cm-1  Nitrile C-N
• Strong intensity  2800 and 3000 cm-1  C-H in CH3
and CH2, C-H deformation vibrations  1350 and 1475
cm-1  Alkenes.
• Broad intensity band  1600 and 1750 cm-1  C=O
stretching vibrations  ketones and aldehydes.
• Bands  1000 and 1300 cm-1  Ether groups.
• FTIR analysis  H2, CO, CO2, CH4, CmHn can be
accurately predicted for briquette pyrolysis.

9. Conclusion
9
• Briquette low moisture, ash, fixed carbon, high volatile matter.
• Environmentally friendly  Nitrogen & Sulfur in trace quantities
 low conc. of SOx & NOx.
• TGA  thermal decomposition  four stages, devolatization
begins at 206 C, devolatization peaks at 325 C, 70 % weight loss.
• EFB briquette  environmentally friendly fuel  thermochemical
conversion  required products of pyrolysis and gasification.

10. Acknowledgment
10
Authors acknowledge the financial support from the Ministry of
Higher Education (MOHE), Energy Research Alliance (ERA) and
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) through the GUP Grant, VOT No.
05H04 and the assistance of the Research Management Centre (RMC).