WHAT IS PEANUT HUSK

https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1983-41952014000600001#:~:text=Peanut
%20husks%20(Arachis%20Hypogaea)%20are,%2C%202012)%20%5B1%5D.

Peanut husks (Arachis Hypogaea) are an abundant agroindustrial waste in the region of Córdoba,
Argentina, concentrating the 95% of the country's peanut production. Almost 1 million tons were
produced in 2011, generating around three hundred thousand tons of husks as waste (Cámara Argentina
del Maní, 2012). Nowadays, peanut husks are used in the elaboration of panels [2], pro duction of feed
lots and for the manufacture of activated carbon [3]. The main use is as fuel in industrial processes,
which generates an important amount of ashes used as landfill without added value, estimating a
production of thirty tons per day of waste.

PEANUT HUSK AS AGRICULTURAL WASTE IN PHILIPPINES

file:///C:/Users/USER/Downloads/Utilization_of_Agricultural_Wastes_in_the_Manufact.pdf

According to Baconguis (2008), growing concern for waste minimization led the construction industry to
consider the use of agricultural waste in the production of building materials. The Philippines, being an
agricultural country produces considerable amount of agricultural waste. As of 1999, generation of 40
million metric tons of agricultural wastes was documented by the Department of Energy.

Based on Magundayao et. al (2006) and Macatangay (2010), the idea of using agricultural wastes as a
renewable resource became an optimistic option to minimize this waste. Different types of agricultural
waste are viable for a wide variety of products including paper, textiles, other fibrebased materials and
wood-based panels such as fibreboards and particleboards.

In the study of Rowell (1996) it is said that composite panels made from agricultural materials are in the
same product category as wood-based composite panels and include low-density insulating board,
medium-density fibreboard, hardboard, and particleboard. More so, composite panel binders may be
synthetic thermosetting resins or modified naturally occurring resins like tannin or lignin, starches,
thermoplastics, and inorganics.
According to Palomar (1998), peanuts are very popular in the Philippines but not much attention is given
to this crop for research and development. Almost 35,000 metric tons are harvested each year. The
shells, which are biodegradable and absorbent, can be utilized as animal food filler, absorbents, or
carriers for pesticides or fertilizers, although they are often simply landfilled (Bieak & George 2003;
“Hulls” AgTech 2002).

COMPONENTS OF PEANUT HUSKS

file:///C:/Users/USER/Downloads/Utilization_of_Agricultural_Wastes_in_the_Manufact.pdf

Dried, ground peanut hulls were found to contain 34.56% lignin, 39.42% cellulose, 73.98% acid
detergent fibre and 86.16% neutral detergent fibre (Childs & Abajian 2006). This characteristic is
comparable to wood which is composed of fibres of cellulose (40%–50%) and hemicellulose (15%–25%)
held together by lignin (15%–30%), 60% crude fibre, 7% protein and 3% ash (University of Minnesota
Extension N.D.).

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jpol/2015/189289/
Just as it is the case of other cellulosic materials, peanut shells contain cellulose, hemicelluloses, and
lignin microfibrils, which are grouped into macrofibrils. Chemical compositions of peanut shell fiber was
found to be cellulose (35.7%), hemicelluloses (18.7%), lignin (30.2%), and ash content (5.9%)

USES AND ADVANTAGES OF PEANUT HUSK

Peanut Husk Panel for Use in Architecture Design

https://www.nutfruit.org/industry/publications/inc-magazine/articles/detail/peanut-husk-panels-for-
use-in-architecture-and-design?fbclid=IwAR2WpsP55WdTAa0VEgfPMpkAsdskIYPZlZ62YfoDv9DEfSYE-
ZeaedwtZzQ

Peanut husks, or shells, are natural packaging of the seed, which grows underground. The natural
properties of the husk which are essential to the growth and protection of the seed while underground
are the very properties which mean they do not easily biodegrade. Using this by-product from peanut
industry, this project has created agglomerated polymer matrix panels with properties similar to those
of industrialized wood panels, whose applications are oriented towards architecture and object design.

The Argentinian Peanut is grown mainly in the center and south of the province of Córdoba, where the
agroecological conditions are optimal for their development. 95% of the country’s total peanut crop is
produced and processed in Córdoba. Their quality is widely recognized and demand for the Argentinian
peanut is highest in the US and Europe. The production of peanuts in Córdoba currently stands at over
1,000,000 tons per year. However, only a small quantity of this is sold in the domestic market, with over
95% of total production being exported.

Some characterization tests were carried out. When magnified, the peanut husks were observed to be
composed of a triple-layered structure, in which the rigidity is provided by the inner shell. A fibrillar
mesh covers the inner shell, providing strength. On the surface, a thin skin covers the mesh to protect it
and keep it stuck to the inner shell.

The result of the material made with peanut husks as the main aggregate was volatile-organic-
compound (VOCs)-free polymer-based agglomerated panels.
 
The incorporation of the husks, without grinding and without any chemical treatment, was sufficiently
compatible with the resin. The result was a material with properties similar to those of industrialized
wooden panels. The production process is based on the wood industry.

https://www.gardenguides.com/uses-peanut-shells-6023398.html

Peanut shells are used in the manufacture of soap, cosmetics, wallboard, plastics and linoleum, among
other things. Scientist and educator George Washington Carver extolled the value of peanuts and their
shells at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 21st century, scientists at Clark Atlanta University
studied ways to use peanut shells to make hydrogen for fuel.

For Compost and Mulch

Carver saw that peanut shells could replenish the soil in the south, which had been exhausted by cotton
crops. They can do the same for your garden and lawn. If you use them as mulch, you don't even need
to grind them up. As they decompose they form nitrogen, a critical nutrient for gardening soil.

Homemade Kitty Litter

Some kitty litter manufacturers use peanut shells in their products. Soak them in water, add
biodegradable dish soap, let them dry and sprinkle them with baking soda and you have kitty litter that's
much better for the environment than the chemically treated variety. If nothing else, a boxful of peanut
shells will hold you over if you run out your regular brand and can't make it to the pet store right away.

Kindling
Peanut shells are extremely flammable; they are used to make some manufactured fireplace logs. If you
have a wood-burning stove or a fireplace, sprinkle the shells over your wood to get a good blaze going
quickly.

Packing Material
Instead of buying Styrofoam packing peanuts, why not use the shells of the real things? You'll also be
helping the environment, as Styrofoam and plastic bubble wrap are not eco-friendly.

Food
While the USDA does not recognize peanut shells as food, the National Peanut Board's website assures
readers that the shells are safe to eat--if not as tasty as the nuggets they contain. The chemical
compositions vary by the type of peanut and how it's shelled, but for the most part they are a good
source of fiber and don't contain anything harmful.

Used to Clean Up Water Waste

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108080114.htm#:~:text=Peanut%20husks%2C
%20one%20of%20the,copper%20ions%20from%20waste%20water

Peanut husks, one of the biggest food industry waste products, could be used to extract environmentally
damaging copper ions from waste water, according to researchers in Turkey. Writing in the Inderscience
publication the International Journal of Environment and Pollution, the team describes how this readily
available waste material can be used to extract toxic copper ions from waste water. The discovery offers
a useful alternative to simple disposal of this ubiquitous food industry waste product.

https://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/more/sustainability/5-surprising-uses-for-peanut-shells.htm
http://www.biomass-briquette.com/Blogs/Peanut-Shell-Pellet-Equipment.html

It can also be used as an alternative for salt and charcoal. it is also suitable to be made into pellet fuels
for house fireplaces and industrial biomass stoves.

PEANUT HUSK AS PARTICLE BOARD

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230396138_Particleboards_from_peanut-shell_flour

Peanuts have been cultivated worldwide for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. However, most
peanuts are sold without the shell, and so large quantities of peanut shells remain as byproducts in the
field, not being used properly. In this work, the feasibility of making particleboard from milled peanut
shells was studied. To obtain medium-density panels, a low compaction pressure and a high fiber
content were used. The physical and mechanical properties of the panels were similar to those reported
for wood-based particleboard when 80 wt % filler was used. The void content of the panels was
experimentally determined and used in an attempt to predict the mechanical response of the panels.
The stiffness of the particleboard could be greatly improved by a reduction of the porosity, but even a
low void content had a critical effect on the strength of the composites. The stiffness of the composites
could only be reasonably represented with simple theoretical models when the effect of the porosity
was incorporated (2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 916–923, 2005).

REFERENCES:

Sao, Paolo (2014). Revista IBRACON de Estruturas e Materiais. On-line  version  ISSN  1983-4195. 7(6).
Retrieved from https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1983-
41952014000600001#:~:text=Peanut%20husks%20(Arachis%20Hypogaea)%20are,%2C
%202012)%20%5B1%5D.

Macatangay, P.M., et al. (n.d.). Utilization of Agricultural Wastes in the Manufacture of Composite
Boards. ASEAN J. Sci. Technol. Dev. 29(2). pp. 129-140. Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/USER/Downloads/Utilization_of_Agricultural_Wastes_in_the_Manufact.pdf

Obasi, Henry (2015). Peanut Husk Filled Polyethylene Composites: Effects of Filler Content and
Compatibilizer on Properties. Journal of Polymers. Retrieved from
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jpol/2015/189289/

Nutfruit Magazine (2019). Retrieved from https://www.nutfruit.org/industry/publications/inc-

magazine/articles/detail/peanut-husk-panels-for-use-in-architecture-and-design?
fbclid=IwAR2WpsP55WdTAa0VEgfPMpkAsdskIYPZlZ62YfoDv9DEfSYE-ZeaedwtZzQ

Roberts, Scott (2018). Uses of Peanut Shells. Retrieved from https://www.gardenguides.com/uses-

peanut-shells-6023398.html

ScienceDaily (2007). Peanut Husks Could Be Used Clean Up Waste Water. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108080114.htm#:~:text=Peanut%20husks%2C
%20one%20of%20the,copper%20ions%20from%20waste%20water

National Peanut Board (n.d.). 5 Surprising Uses for Peanut Shells. Retrieved from
https://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/more/sustainability/5-surprising-uses-for-peanut-shells.htm

ABC Machinery (n.d.). Peanut Shell Pellet Equipment. Retrieved from http://www.biomass-
briquette.com/Blogs/Peanut-Shell-Pellet-Equipment.html
Batalla, Leonel & Nunez, Adrian (2005). Particleboards from peanut‐shell flour. Journal of Applied
Polymer Science. 97(3). Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230396138_Particleboards_from_peanut-shell_flour