ENERGY VALUE AND RELATED PROPERTIES OF Deterium microcarpum (sweet detar, sweet dattock or tallow tree) GUILL & PERR

Abstract

A fresh wood sample of Detarium microcarpum Guill & Perr was taken from Buskuri open Savanna woodland and tested for moisture content, calorific value, combustion rate and its coppicing ability measured. The study shows that the moisture content at the time of energy determination was found to be 4.75 percent and the calorific value of 15.32 Mj/Kg was recorded. The results also reveals that in eight minutes, the temperature of the wood sample reached 520^oC and temperature above 100^oC was retained for a period of 28minutes. The species was found to coppice at the rate of 100cm per annum. An urgent need to stop cutting Detarium microcarpum  for fuel wood and the need for advance research on the wood properties of the same species for enhanced diversification of utilization were recommended.