College of Natural and Computational Sciences

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    Characterization of carbonized and uncarbonized bone waste: Physicochemical properties and their potential as alternative energy sources
    (Mekelle University, 2025-01-25) Haftu Gebremedhin Gebremariam
    One of the significant challenges facing societies today is meeting the growing energy demand for transportation, heating, lighting, and industrial processes, which have a considerable environmental impact. Population growth and urbanization have both directly and indirectly increased energy demand. This study investigates the characterization of carbonized and uncarbonized waste bone, examining their physicochemical properties and potential as alternative energy sources, particularly for use in the cement industry. The research utilized two laboratory techniques: proximate analysis to determine the physical properties and calorific values, and ultimate (elemental) analysis to assess the chemical composition, including hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur content of both carbonized and uncarbonized bones. The results indicated that the moisture content, volatile matter, and fixed carbon of carbonized and uncarbonized bones were 1.35% vs. 2%, 55.65% vs. 50.22%, and 2.55% vs. 7.72%, respectively. The calorific values were 3,212.75 kcal/kg for carbonized bones and 4,018.01 kcal/kg for uncarbonized bones. In terms of elemental composition, carbon content was 32.46% for carbonized bones and 38.13% for uncarbonized bones, while nitrogen levels were 0.99% and 1.10%, and sulfur content was 0.18% and 0.078%, respectively. Comparative analysis of greenhouse gas emissions revealed that uncarbonized bones emitted 1.10% nitrogen, 38.13% carbon, and 0.078% sulfur, compared to 9.67% nitrogen, 58.84% carbon, and 0.25% sulfur from coal. The study concludes that uncarbonized bones are more favorable as an alternative energy source compared to carbonized bones, as they offer comparable emissions and higher calorific values. It is recommended that partial replacement of fossil fuels with bone-derived energy could offer both environmental and economic benefits, promoting cleaner, cost-effective energy solutions.