Physical durability and stability of olive cake briquettes

摘要

Olive tree (Oiea Europea) farming In Jordan dates back more than 1600 years. In the last few decades, the country has witnessed a dramatic expansion in the olive tree culture. It is estimated that there are more than 35 million olive trees in the country-producing about 105,000 t of olive fruits. Pressing these fruits results in 15,000 t of olive oil and about 80,000 t of solid waste, also called olive cake or 'jift', every year (Madi and Kuraan 1999). The remaining 10,000 t is the wastewater produced by pressing the fruits. This amount of olive cake makes it the single most important agricultural by-productin the country. Further, all signs indicate that the expansion trend in olive trees will continue into the foreseeable future because olive oilmakes a good cash crop, the tree is tolerant of drought conditions, and it requires only minor care to grow.