Experimental study of biogas production from water hyacinth

In the Littoral and East regions of Cameroon, the proliferation of the water hyacinth threatens the conservation of biodiversity. Indeed, its rapid multiplication asphyxiates fish and promotes malaria. Integrated pest management and many other methods have been used to eliminate this plant, but it persists, endangering the eco-systemic balance of marine environments. The efficient management of this plant remains a challenge. The aim of this study is to contribute to the implementation of a water hyacinth management protocol. The idea was to use this plant not only for natural fertilizer for soil improvement but also as energy production (biogas). The tests were carried out at the HIMA application farm in the Abong-Mbang area. Experiments were conducted using 60-Liters batch digesters. In all three sets of experiments, combinations of water hyacinth, cow dung and chicken droppings were used. For water hyacinth alone, an average production of 70 L of biogas was recorded. The best yield was obtained for the mixture of water hyacinth (5 kg), cow dung (1.5 kg) and chicken droppings (1 kg) at 1/4 dilution, i.e. 179 L/kg of substrate. The results obtained are encouraging and are being effectively used. This technology can therefore be applied in areas infested by Eichhornia crassipes for the production of energy, compost and control of water hyacinth proliferation

Extraction and Physicochemical and Thermomechanical Characterizations of Water Hyacinth Fibers Eichhornia crassipes

The presence of floating plants is becoming an uncontrollable issue on the banks of Douala, Cameroon, notably in the city of Bonaberi, where the water hyacinth is expanding incredibly quickly. The aim of this study is to evaluate the mechanical and physicochemical performance of water hyacinth fibers for pulp manufacture. To this end, tensile tests on fiber bundles in accordance with ISO 13934-1:2013, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), chemical composition evaluation in accordance with ASTM 1972 and 1977, and absorption rate were carried out. The results obtained indicate that the fiber is composed of a variety of fibrils with irregular cross-sections, with an average diameter ranging from 0.02 to 0.09 mm. The fibers absorb 42.03% of their weight in water, and their density ranges from 1.23 to 1.45 g/cm3. According to mechanical tests, the fiber has a maximum tensile strength of around 0.64 MPa, a specific modulus of 6.45 MPa/g/cm3, and an elongation at break of 1.8%. For the chemical characteristics of the fiber, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents are 68.3%, 11.3%, and 7.4%, respectively, while pectin and ash content concentrations are 4.8% and 7.8%, respectively. Thus, in order to determine whether the plant is suitable for making pulp and paper, this investigation was conducted to examine its fiber properties. It was found that the water hyacinth fibers were superior to flax straw and jute fibers in all qualities, but not as good as silk cotton and bagasse fibers. Given the information above, water hyacinth has been recognized as a potential raw material for the pulp and paper industries, though