Sekam padi (rice husk)

Recently, national issue on energy crisis influences directly to rural and poor people. Gas energy supply is controlled by government through authorized agents or distributors and people pay for them. Lack of firewood enforces to create alternate energy to meet a demand.  Rice husk waste has potential application to be converted in form of shavings or briquette. However it needs a binder to adhere among them. Additional other solid waste also benefits to improve physical quality. Briquetting process can be performed with or without oven. The unhulled paddy contains 45% rice husk. Potential quantity of rice husk reaches 22,884,814 tons (2011) as side product or solid waste of paddy cultivation over 13,224,379 hectares.

Fig. Rice husk

(Courtesy of Antara, 2012)

The characterization of briquette quality depends on burning temperature, burning period, calorific value, physical property of product. The typical binder plays significant role in this product. Utilization of natural binder in the form of waste solves environmental problem at once. These solid waste area adhered with around 10% of natural binder may produce optimum physical properties of product and its calorific value. Research result obtained fact that different binders influence the calorific value of the briquette.

Proportion of raw materials may be varied to obtain best properties of product. Variety of natural binder may be applied in a single or combined proportion. The binder material can be selected from the waste residue of natural starch locally. It depends on availability of waste materials and possible binders. The characteristic of this fuel may flare within half hour at medium service temperature.

Possible conversion of rice husk and stem becomes bio fuel was regulated by government (2008). The reason is national food security consideration. It is worried if induces the price of rice commodity domestically. Within next decade government secures rice commodity from bio fuel demand issue.