RATIONALE PAPER

NAME: Balondo, Jundyll Mitch, U.

COURSE AND MAJOR: BT - EET

I. GENERAL SUBJECT AREA: Agriculture corn cob and husk product

II. SPECIFIC TOPIC: Turning a corn cob and husk into useful product such as charcoal
III. PROPOSED RESEARCH TITLE: Development of corn cob briquetting machine.

Background of the Project IN-TEXT CITATION

Corn is one of the primary products supplied by the Philippines in the world market
second on the rice corps which is also has the highest number of production in the Philippines. The
product is likewise low-cost as it is a noteworthy element of poultry furthermore, domesticated animals
bolsters and a crude material in numerous modern items. The large area of corn farms can be found in
southern part Visayas and Mindanao. Greenpeace stated that “In 2010, total corn production was
valued at Php70B (US$ 1.7B), around 22% of the total corn supply in the country was consumed as food,
64% as feeds, 13% for processing into other food product and 1% as seeds in year 1990-2005”. In year
2011, 63% of total supply used for feeds and 21% as a food, the 13% is for processing. Corn utilization
was approximately at 1.5 M metric tons (ANNEX III), 2000 – 2011, Corn utilization ranged from 1 M to
1.7 M metric tons.

(Philstar, 2016) Corn production for the primary quarter is relied upon to achieve 2.11 million
MT, five percent lower than in January estimate of 2.21 million MT and 11 percent underneath the 2.37
million MT level in 2015. The support and concern from government and some private sectors results a
2.48 million MT corn output on January-March 2018 it was 4.66 percent higher than the 2.37 million MT
record in 2017. Last July 12, 2018 the researcher’s group went to Tarlac and conduct and interview to
one of the farmer (Mr. Wilmar Tabile, a kagawad and farmer) of the area, he stated that “they don’t use
the corn cob and husk after it was harvested. The corn cob and husk just turn into waste and wait for it
to decompose” he added. Some of the people use the corn husk to make a lantern for their festival and
after using it the farmers make it as a “pataba” (fertilizer) for their farms. But the corn cob turns into
firewood for their cooking.

__________One of the kagawad of the area told us that “they were using corn cob as a firewood
instead of letting the cob turns into waste”. The corn cob is one of the main parts of the corn plant. The
researchers come up with the Idea of making a charcoal from corn cob. Charcoal is one of the products
used by the Filipinos for cooking most especially in rural areas. It is utilized for non-control applications,
for example, private end utilizes especially cooking and mechanical uses too. It is being explored as one
fuel source because it is relatively less expensive, cleaner, safer and more efficient than most current fuel
sources. It burns hotter and cleaner than wood. Unlike coal, it does not release sulfur into the
atmosphere. It can also potentially reduce the number of deaths due to fumes from indoor cooking fires.
Corncob is an ideal material to use in the Philippines since it is widely available in farms and other
agricultural areas.
 Having benefits from corn cob charcoal furthermore, consumers need to deal with consequences
due to burning large amount of cob in order to produce charcoal. Burning waste in public area is
probihited it violates the (R. A) no. 9003 or Ecological Solid Waste Management Act 2008 (Dr. Acosta
2018). According to the said rule any person who violate the law will be punish, as stated to the section
49 (b) of (R. A) no. 9003 they will be punished with a fine atleast not less than three hundred pesos (300)
but not more than one thousand pesos (1000) or imprisonment of not less than one day but not more
than fifteen days. So people need to adopt the principle of the machine and how it will be helpful for the Commented [1]:
community.

There were several existing briquetting machine for corn cob charcoal which is mechanically
operated but not located in the Philippines. The functionality of these machines gives enough result
quality output but the production was not that good. Time efficiency is what workers need to have an
effective output in production. Varieties of briquetting machine needs an improvement to adjust with
technology industry and what the society needed more.

Justification of the Project

Briquetting machine is viable in agricultural countries. Biomass briquette has the highest
thermal value and much lower ash content. Due to its moisture content and higher density.
Biomass briquette are made from agricultural and forestry waste so it is easily available. The
researchers prototype come up with the liability of the machine in the industry. It does not emit
polluting gases because the output does not contain any polluting substance like sulfur. The corn
cob briquettes were compacted or compressed good enough to have high bulk and specific
density to be able to make it concentraded.

The machine has following feautures to sustain the needs of the consumers. Compared to
other machine, this was developed to make an impact to society and give an environmental
friendly product. Some workers used to separate the process of crushing, carbonizing and
compressing the raw material which makes it more laborious. The researchers prototype demand
the capacity of machine to do all the process of three machines. It has separated controls for
shredding process and controls for carbonizing and compressing. The advantage of this machine
is the efficiency of time in working and the probability of better product produce in a period of
time.

It aim to manifest an estimated 80%-90% of work efficiency and productivity with the design
and quality of output produce. Making it more economically advanced it terms of using a locally
available materials. In this manner the researchers proposes a briquetting machine for corn cob
and its husk to elevate the massive effect of agricultural waste to the industry. This project must
be emerge to rural areas or provinces where plenty of corn plant waste produce every year. The
probable recipient of this project will be the common people who used to make an alternative
charcoal through corn cob. It can also be provided to the community which cost large amount of
agricultural waste.
IV. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:
The main objective of the study is to make a machine that turns a corn cob and husk to a charcoal
which is durable and safe for the user and more environment friendly.

Specifically, the study aimed to:

1. Design a machine that turn a corn cob and husk to a charcoal with the following features:
1. It has shredding process to minimize each part of cob and husk;
2. It has proper screw type compressing process operated by motor;
3. It has improvised maintenance door to monitor the condition of the machine;
4. It has emergency stop for safety;
5. It has separated controls for shredding and compressing.
2. Construct the prototype using locally available materials;
3. Test and improve the prototype by comparing the output between the traditional way and
existing machine of making a charcoal through corn cob.
4. Test to provinces or rural areas;
5. Evaluate the performance of the prototype in terms of functionally, workability, durability,
economy and safety.

V. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study is focused on the design, construction and evaluation of a prototype that will help to
solve the problem of reducing the waste produces from corn corn cob and its husk. The scope of the project
is to construct this charcoal machine from locally available materials.

VI. LITERATURE CITED (Follow the APA format use google scholar or APA generator)

VII. SKETCH OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT

Endorsed by: Prepared by:

Prof. Connie C. Aunario Jundyll Mitch Balondo

Research Adviser BT - CET