The potential applications of the bio-char derived from the pyrolysis of an agro-industrial waste. effects of temperature and acid-pretreatment

Abstract

The bio-char arising from slow pyrolysis of raw agricultural wastes from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) at two different temperatures (600 and 800°C) is characterized. According to international standards, the bio-char derived at both temperatures has potential as a solid bio-fuel for domestic use, whereas only the bio-char produced at 800°C might be employed for industrial targets. Textural characterization also points to the potential use of the latter as an inexpensive rough adsorbent or soil amender. Besides, acid-pretreatment of the wastes subjected to pyrolysis at 600°C promotes an enhanced yield of the bio-char with a well-developed porous structure. Its effectiveness in removing synthetic melanoidin from a dilute solution, as a model of molasses wastewater from the sugar industry and related factories generating environmental pollution, is comparable to that of a commercial activated carbon used for comparison. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.