Characterization of Two Lignocellulosic Biomasses Coffea Arabica L. for the production of Biochar

Abstract

In Peru, the growing production of agricultural crops such as coffee generates large volumes of solid waste. In 2020 alone, around 598 thousand tons of lignocellulosic waste were obtained from the coffee harvest, which, for the most part, are dumped in the field and used as compost or burned for the operation of machinery, causing environmental and health problems. Two agricultural biomasses from the coffee harvest (pulp and husk) were characterized by elemental analysis (C, H, O, N and S), calorific value, pH, proximate analysis (moisture content, ash, volatile matter, and fixed carbon), chemical analysis (cellulose, lignin and holocellulose), thermogravimetric analysis and IR spectroscopy. The values reported for the elemental, proximal, chemical, calorific value and pH analyzes agree with those obtained in previous studies and they are indicators of a great potential to produce biochar through thermochemical processes such as pyrolysis or gasification. Finally, higher contents of lignin, ashes and fixed carbon were obtained for the coffee pulp, turning out to be a better precursor for biochar applied to soil conditioning, unlike the coffee husk that, due to the lower content of ashes, turns out to be a better precursor. for obtaining biofuels.