Although a coconut plantation will always be a major player in the plantations of energy crops, in most cases coconut plantations are also a reliable source for a wide range of other goods in addition to their vast amounts of energy. When compared to other crops in the field, the coconut may be categorized into a wide range of applications given the current level of production.
A coconut palm plant is known to produce around 40% of its husks, which are thought to contain roughly 30% fibre with the remaining 20% being dust. The chemical elements found in coconut husks include cellulose, pyroligneous acid gas, charcoal, tar, tannin, and potassium. Typically, coconut dust contains a lot of cellulose and lignin. The components of the coco dust casing, which are coconut fibres from a coconut tree, are often resistant to fungus and many types of bacteria.
Popular coconut husks and coconut shells are also made available as coconut biomass from coconut palm trees. The husk and shells of coconuts create appealing biomass fuels and a reliable supply of charcoal. The main benefit of utilizing coconut biomass as fuel is that there is always a reliable supply because coconuts are widely accessible throughout the year. When cleaning wastewater, the activated carbon made from these coconut shells is unquestionably thought to be quite effective at removing all contaminants.
Coconut Shell from Coconut Palm Plants
Coconut shells are a significant agricultural waste that is widely accessible in our nation in vast amounts. It is well known that igniting coconut shells in open areas may greatly raise CO2 and methane emissions. Famous charcoal is frequently made from coconut shells from a coconut plantation. The dry weight of the utilized shells is all that is needed in the classic pit technique to manufacture charcoal, which results in a high output of 25–30%. This process often results in a lot of dirt and foreign material in the charcoal. In addition to harming the environment, the smoke emissions from these pits pose a major threat to human health.
Interestingly, the coconut shell from a coconut tree is much better suited for the pyrolysis process given that it typically has less ash and can be easily obtained for a very low cost due to the high volatile matter concentration. The more fixed carbon there is, the more probable it is that a solid residue called activated carbon will form. This is a typical component of wastewater treatment techniques. In many parts of the nation, coconut meat is also often used to prepare meals, and coconut shells are also generally accessible.
Coconut Husk from a Coconut Planting
The coconut husk derived from a coconut farm generally has a very high amount of lignin as well as cellulose, and that is the major reason why it has a high calorific value. Also, the chemical composition of coconut husks majorly consists of cellulose, lignin, gas, tar, tannin, as well as potassium.
The actual predominant use of the coconut husks lies in the direct combustion to help make charcoal. These husks are otherwise simply thrown away. Coconut husk can be greatly transformed into a value-added fuel source that can effectively replace wood and other traditional forms of fuel. With regards to availability and overall costs, the coconut husk stands a really good chance to replace other fuel in power plants.
Uses of coconut shells:
It is a known fact that the coconut shells from coconut plantations can be composted – but they will surely take a lot longer than most other compostable materials. Some research says it may take up to a year, other researchers say maybe ten, but what is evident is that when it composts, you’ll still have the hard coconut shells. For that very reason, it may be much better to use the coconut shells in these very creative and unique ways:
1.Simple Coconut Shell Plant Pot
The first and easiest idea to consider with the coconut shell derived from a coconut tree is to simply use half of the shell as a plant pot. These can tend to look very attractive, and also allow you to majorly avoid the possible use of wanting to have any plastic plant pots in your home. The shell is surprisingly fully biodegradable. All you need to do is simply make a few holes in the very bottom of each one for drainage purposes, then place these in your home garden or just in another shell as half the shell will help to catch the water if you intend to grow the plant indoors.
2.Hanging shells of coconut plantings
If you intend to take things just a stage further, you can also go ahead and use these coconut shells to ideally hang planters or have them in the creation of a vertical garden. Just by simply adding these holes all around the top edges of the shell you can create nice little mini hanging baskets in your home with these coconut planting shells for your garden. You could also add an attached half coconut shell to the wall or fence, or arrange it in a spiral formation to make good with the vertical space available to you.
3.Bird Feeders from coconut palm plants
You can very easily use the coconut shell half to make a sweet and simple bird feeder to hang in your garden. All you need to do is just simply make prominent holes in the half shell of the coconut planting and hang it somewhere suitable to happily feed the wild garden birds, then have it refilled with a mixture of seeds for your birds to enjoy.
4.Coconut Shell Basket
A very simple DIY skill could also be to turn a half coconut shell into a nice small basket that you can include to collect various seeds, fruits, etc. that grow in your garden. You could also try and use another strip of that coconut shell which is derived from a coconut farm to make an effective handle for your little basket or even try and carve out the whole part of the shell to make a basket that has an attached handle.
5.Coconut Shell Bowl
A coconut shell could be cleaned up and neatly polished to make a super attractive small-sized bowl. It could very well be used for display purposes like for holding dried nuts or even potpourri. If you intend to use the coconut shell taken from a coconut plantation as a waterproof bowl, that you can eat from, then you will ideally need to finish it with a neat coating of linseed oil as well as some mineral spirits.
6.Simple But Effective Ladle
In a country like ours where coconut plantations are so common, it is not a very rare sight to see householders using half of their coconut shell attached to a stick and using it as a simple but effective ladle. The process would be very similar to that which is used to make the bowl and the handle so that the ladle bowl can easily be dipped to scoop up any food or drink.
7. Candle Holder
You can use a coconut shell derived from a coconut farm in multiple ways but one way to use a coconut shell is to make a really simple candle holder. All you need to do is simply clean up and prepare your coconut shell, then go ahead and add your wick while you carefully pour in the wax. You can also try to carve and drill some holes in a coconut shell which can help to create a beautiful tea light holder. By tweaking the design and thinking carefully about the overall patterns you can start with making holes. You can also determine how much light will be cast and help to create a very beautiful showpiece object for your home.
Recycling the waste from the coconut palm plant
Coconut water is known to have indefinite health benefits and it is widely consumed across the country. Post consumption, the coconut shells and husk can be handed over to the coconut vendors who will compile them and send them to established infrastructures to be recycled despite them being labelled as dry waste. In the case of mature coconut palm plants, they can be used for religious purposes or end up in landfills. These are some of the efficient ways we can effectively recycle the shells and husks of a coconut palm plant to put to multiple uses.
Recycling the husk from the coconut palm plant
The coconut husk, also known as the coconut fibre is essentially visible in the mature coconut. The husk of the coconut palm plant can also tend to consist of some very strong fibres and this can be converted into several value-added items like ropes, bio-degradable chairs, and erosion control matting. Additionally, one of the by-products of a coconut husk is the coco peat which can be used as the corky material that holds together the coir fibre. Coco peat is popularly used for hydroponic agricultural practices.
The husk of a coconut generally comprises about 30 per cent coconut fibres along with 70 per cent flesh. Those when separated from one another can be used for making mats and brushes. The husk from the coconut palm plant is widely separated to produce boards. The husk which is processed into so many small pieces can then be pressed and shaped into boards. As regards its overall properties, it is highly sturdy and very fire-resistant. It is noteworthy that the board material that is obtained from the coconut husk is comparable to or even better than the medium-density fibreboard (MDF).
The number of uses of coconut husks for the overall production of the board material has a wide range of advantages:
● The method is very sustainable and also supremely environmentally friendly. The residual material from the coconut palm plant itself can be used in its entirety. It is also a good alternative to wood and can help to prevent the large impact of deforestation. During its production, glue, and other chemical agents do not necessarily need to be added. Furthermore, the production process is CO2 neutral.
● It is also considerably inexpensive. It also takes only one-third of its total production costs. Glue is also not required for the processing of the coconut husk from the coconut planting which will go into the board material.
● It can effectively form an extra source of income for farmers.
Coconut shells are highly dominant for their uses and can be used in multiple ways if used effectively. It is the source of income for most farmers who do not just benefit from the sale of tender coconuts. The shells of the coconut from the coconut palm plant along with the coconut husks are excellent in their form of a wide range of products. It has endless possibilities and can be put to a lot of good use.
