Thermochemical conversion of oil palm Fiber‐LDPE hybrid waste into biochar

Abstract

Typical municipal solid waste (MSW) is composed mainly of biomass and polymers. In this study, the co-conversion of a feedstock obtained from a mixture of both constituent materials is investigated. The goal of this study was to determine the suitability of a low-temperature process for achieving biochar with properties that can make it amenable to multiple energy and environmental applications. Co-carbonization of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) fiber (OPF) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was conducted at a peak temperature of 529 °C for 80 min in a top-lit updraft biomass conversion reactor using retort heating. The biochar yields for OPF and OPF-LDPE were 15.9 wt% and 62.7 wt%, respectively, with the higher yield of the latter attributed to a polymer effect. The OPF and OPF-LDPE biochars were mesoporous with relatively large specific surface areas of 352.9 and 391.4 m 2 g −1 , respectively. The addition of LDPE to the OPF feedstock was observed to be advantageous as it improved the biochar yield, carbon content, specific surface area, and pore volume. Consequently, the technology of choice for solid waste management offers key environment-friendly benefits such as no electrical power requirement, an excellent waste-to-wealth approach, and the capacity to be used globally (in remote locations).

Thermochemical recycling of waste disposable facemasks in a non-electrically powered system

“…Even though the facemask that was introduced was primarily composed of carbon, the observed decrease could have resulted from the production of carbon-based non-condensable gases such as CO and CO 2 during the carbonization process. However, this finding contradicts the findings of the bulk of previous investigations, which found a rise in carbon content since carbon and hydrogen are the principal elemental components of facemasks [ 29 , 30 ]. Nevertheless, the biochar samples have a high concentration of carbon, meaning that they may be used to sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions [ 40 , 41 ].…”

“…Another study obtained a yield of 71% for the co-conversion of almond leaves and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) [ 26 ]. In other studies, a yield of 62.7% and 45.4% was recorded for the co-carbonization of oil palm fibre and LDPE and sugarcane bagasse and LDPE, respectively [ 29 , 30 ].…”

“…ALFB, on the other hand, was produced through the co-carbonization approach, with a yield of 46%. The increase in yield from 39 to 46% could be due to the presence of higher carbon containing polymers in the facemask, which significantly raised the material's yield [29,30]. In comparison with other Fig.…”

“…ALFB, on the other hand, was produced through the co-carbonization approach, with a yield of 46%. The increase in yield from 39 to 46% could be due to the presence of higher carbon containing polymers in the facemask, which significantly raised the material's yield [ 29 , 30 ]. In comparison with other studies, a biochar yield of 28.9% at a peak temperature of 200℃ was obtained for the co-hydrothermal liquefaction of disposable facemasks and S. platensis [ 19 ].…”

Evaluating the Nature of Captured Exhaust Soot from a Retort Heating Carbonisation System

“…Recent studies have utilised a low temperature biochar-optimised carboniser design in which an outer combustion space generates heating for the inner carbonisation chamber. It has been evaluated for bio-char production from elephant grass [14,15], plantain fibers [16], orange peel and albedo [17], almond leaves [18], sugarcane bagasse [19] and oil palm fibre [20]. In such hybrid systems where combustion is involved, soot is also produced and trapped.…”