DEVELOPMENT OF PRESSING PROCESS FOR COFFEE WASTE FIRE STARTER MACHINE

Abstract

The global transition toward sustainable energy has strengthened the search for biofuels derived from agricultural waste, with coffee waste emerging as a promising biomass resource. This study presents the development of a pressing process for producing fire starter briquettes from coffee waste, focusing on the optimization of parameters that influence performance and combustion quality. A customized pneumatic pressing apparatus was designed to evaluate the effects of compression pressure, processing time, and cycle time on briquette properties. The briquettes were further characterized in terms of density, mechanical strength, moisture reduction, and final moisture content, as these factors directly impact durability and ignition efficiency. Comparative tests were conducted on two distinct briquette dimensions to assess geometric influence on burning behaviour and handling properties. Standardized performance evaluation included ignition and burn time, supported by graphical analysis of the relationship between moisture content after drying (%) and drying time (seconds) for different coffee waste samples. Results indicate that higher compression pressures and optimized cycle times significantly enhance density and mechanical strength while reducing residual moisture content, thereby improving combustion stability. Briquettes produced under these conditions exhibited consistent burning profiles, favourable cohesive qualities, and reduced emission levels compared to conventional biomass fire starters. The findings confirm that coffee waste briquettes processed through optimized pressing and drying protocols can provide energy outputs comparable to traditional fire starters while addressing waste management challenges. This work demonstrates the dual benefits of utilizing coffee waste as a carbon-neutral fuel and advancing scalable briquetting technology in agro-industrial communities.