Piyush Nandakishor Raut 02 06 Rice husk RH is an abundant agricultural residue generated during milling representing an important prospective alternative to wood fuels in developing nations where traditional biomass drives extensive deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions However raw rice husk possesses low bulk density 86150 kgm high volatile content and an abrasive refractory inorganic ash fraction 65224 wt dominated by silicon dioxide SiO 90 which resists particle deformation and causes severe die cracking during binder less compression This review synthesizes processing advancements across thermal pretreatments binder formulation chemistry densification mechanics and combustion dynamics Slow pyrolysis between 400500C successfully concentrates fixed carbon 3549 producing biochar with higher heating values reaching 1822 MJkg Under lowpressure densification 15 MPa binder chemistry governs briquette performance While inorganic clay binders increase bulk density and burn duration they introduce incombustible ash lowering calorific value down to 95 MJkg Edible starch adhesives deliver high drop durability 94 and clean combustion yet raise serious food security concerns in developing countries Consequently nonedible municipal peelings cassava matooke sweet potato rice dust and natural tree resins have emerged as highperformance substitutes achieving shatter resistance exceeding 87 to 100 and flame temperatures up to 8287C Furthermore integrating central draft holes optimizes airfuel contact expediting ignition and minimizing particulate emissions Overcoming machinery wear from abrasive silica and establishing standardized testing protocols remain vital for industrial scaling Copyright (c) Journal of Science Engineering Technology and Management Science. All rights reserved 2026