Optimization of Biomass Fuel Composition for Rubber Glove Manufacturing in Thailand

Laddawan Thep-On, Shahariar Chowdhury, Kua-Anan Taechato, Anil Kumar and Issara Chanakaewsomboon ()
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Laddawan Thep-On: Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Shahariar Chowdhury: Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Kua-Anan Taechato: Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Anil Kumar: Centre for Energy and Environment, Delhi Technological University, Delhi 110042, India
Issara Chanakaewsomboon: Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-15

Abstract: The demand for rubber gloves has significantly increased in both medical and non-medical fields due to the spread of the coronavirus in 2019. It is challenging for rubber glove manufacturing industries to balance the production and demand for the product. Additionally, they must determine techniques to decrease the production costs so as to make rubber gloves more economical for consumers. Generally, natural gas, fossil fuels, and renewable energy sources are used worldwide in the manufacturing of rubber gloves. In addition, Thailand uses biomass energy for rubber glove production, but biomass utilization is not economically friendly. This study used different biomasses as fuel in rubber glove production so as to reduce production costs and make the process more environmentally friendly. Wood chip (WC), palm kernel shells (PKS), and oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) biomass were collected from local regions and used in different ratios. The samples of WC, PKS, and OPMF were prepared in four different ratios, namely, 88:12:0, 85:15:0, 85:13:2, and 85:10:5, for efficient biomass utilization. The 85:10:5 (WC: PKS: OPMF) ratio was found to be the optimal ratio as the annual production costs of rubber gloves significantly decreased to USD 1.64 per 1000 units of gloves. Furthermore, this biomass ratio also showed the best boiler efficiency of 74.87%. Therefore, WC, PKS, and OPMF biomass are recommended as fuel for rubber glove industries to make sustainable and economical production processes.

Keywords: biomass fuel; cost analysis; rubber glove; boiler efficiency; sustainable economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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