PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF DIFFERENT … · 2019-10-21 · and those features are enough to be used un biochar production[6].Biochar is a carbon-rich charcoal formed by pyrolysis

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International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET)

Volume 10, Issue 10, October 2019, pp. 213-225, Article ID: IJCIET_10_10_023

Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijciet/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=10&IType=10

ISSN Print: 0976-6308 and ISSN Online: 0976-6316

© IAEME Publication

PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

OF DIFFERENT AGRICULTURAL RESIDUES IN

MALAYSIA FOR BIO CHAR PRODUCTION

Anwar Ameen Hezam Saeed, Noorfidza Yub Harun* and Mohamed Mahmoud Nasef

Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS,

32610 Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia

*Corresponding Author Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Biomass materials are effective raw materials for biochar production. The

conversion of biomass materials to biochar can be primarily converted by both

thermochemical and direct combustion methods. Understanding the nature of these

biomass components is important for the overall efficiency of the process of

converting biomass materials to the desired biochar. The objective of this research is

to perform physiological and chemical characterization of prevalent agricultural

residues in Malaysia. The physical and chemical characteristics of biomass samples

were analyzed using CHNS, TGA, FTIR, XRF and XRD analysis. The thermal

degradation behavior in inert environment of rice husk, coconut coir and Kenaf

collected locally were studied. The samples with particle size range between 0.5 to 1

mm were subjected to thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) from room temperature to

650 ° C under a nitrogen atmosphere at constant heating rate of 20 ° C / min. Among

all the samples, rice husk showed the highest silica content of 82.50%, while the

coconut coir showed the highest content of lignin, making it the most effective raw

material to produce biochar. Elemental analysis showed that Kenaf had the highest

ash content (16.3%), while coconut coir had the lowest ash content (9.3%).

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) result for all samples have presented into three

degradation stages: moisture release, hemicellulose-cellulose degradation, and lignin

degradation. The results showed that in the first stage of moisture release, all biomass

samples degraded between 30 and 150 °C. Kenaf showed the highest mass loss (65%),

while rice husk showed the lowest mass loss (45%) in the second stage of

hemicellulose cellulose degradation. The lignin in all biomass samples gradually

degraded from 370 °C to 650 °C in the third region (lignin degradation). This study

provides an important basis for understanding the underlying thermochemistry behind

degradation reactions.

Keywords: Biochar, Characterization, Lignin, Rice husk, Kenaf core, Coconut coir,

Silica, Thermal analysis

Anwar Ameen Hezam Saeed, Noorfidza Yub Harun and Mohamed Mahmoud Nasef


Cite this Article: Anwar Ameen Hezam Saeed, Noorfidza Yub Harun and Mohamed

Mahmoud Nasef, Physicochemical Characterization of Different Agricultural

Residues in Malaysia for Bio Char Production. International Journal of Civil

Engineering and Technology 10(10), 2019, pp. 213-225.

http://www.iaeme.com/IJCIET/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=10&IType=10

1. INTRODUCTION

Biomass is a renewable resource and refers to any material having recent biological origin,

such as plant materials, agricultural crops, and even animal manure. According to National

Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), biomass can be defined as any plant-derived organic

matter. Biomass available for energy on a sustainable basis includes herbaceous and woody

energy crops, agricultural food and feed crops, agricultural crop wastes and residues, wood

wastes and residues, aquatic plants, and other waste [1].Biomass can be considered as a

promising source of renewable energy in Malaysia due to its abundantly available from many

resources including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin which are inexpensive and sustainable

[2].Malaysia produced approximately 480,000 tons of rice husks and 3,176,593.2 tons of

straw [3]Malaysia is a prominent feature of rice producers. Due to the development of new

technologies in the agricultural industry. Rice husk (RH) is the waste of rice fields after the

harvest season. Due to low density of the rice husks, the RH treatment may cause problems

due to the bulkiness. The chemical composition of rice husks is 38% cellulose and 18%

cellulose, hemicellulose and 22% lignin, and contains a large amount of silica, which makes it

a good basis for biochar production [4]. Kenaf is a very versatile plant that can provide many

valuable by product for consumers and industries. As such, kenaf is widely used in the

production of pulp, paper and cardboard as in fiber reinforced composite, natural fuels,

cellulose product, absorbent agent and animal feed. Kenaf exhibits low density, high

absorbent, non-abrasiveness during processing, high specific mechanical properties and

biodegradability [5]. Coconut coir is a residue in the processing of coconut and is available at

minimal cost. It is rich in lignin (16-45%), hemicellulose (24-47%) and pectin (2%) content

and those features are enough to be used un biochar production[6].Biochar is a carbon-rich

charcoal formed by pyrolysis (thermal decomposition) of organic biomass or agricultural

residues and used as a soil amendment [7]. It consists of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen

(O), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S) and different proportions of ash. It is mainly used to improve soil

nutrient content and absorb carbon from the environment [8].Its highly porous structure

makes it an attractive option for soil improvement because It increases soil water holding

capacity by increasing the total surface area of the soil [9].

Biochar is a by-product of carbon generated by a biomass thermochemical method called

pyrolysis. It has many applications, for instance, it can be used as a soil modification to

enhance soil health, store carbon in the soil and enhance soil properties by burying it in the

field. In addition, biochar may also slow the release of carbon into the atmosphere, enabling

carbon stabilization to degrade to carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the bioenergy produced by the

pyrolysis method is a prospective replacement for fossil fuels [10]. Biochar recently is used

as bio adsorbent because bio char had the same characteristics of activated carbon for

example high surface area, large pore volume , environmental stability ,generous functional

group and high resources recovery [11].

Agricultural waste is a fiber-rich product suitable for the preparation of biochar. Instead of

abandoning agricultural waste such as rice husks, sawdust, coconut coir and kenaf without

using them. Preparing biochar from agricultural waste is a better option and saves resources.

Solid products (biochar) can also be used as soil amendments to improve soil fertility. On the

other hand, biochar is an organic materials that is ideal for removing metals or dyes [12].The

Physicochemical Characterization of Different Agricultural Residues in Malaysia for Bio Char

Production


composition of plant biomass varies from species to species. In general, plants are made from

about 25% lignin and 75% carbohydrate or sugar. The carbohydrate moiety consists of several

sugar molecules linked together by long chains or polymers [13]. Additionally , higher

calorific value, silicate index, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and

differential thermogravimetric analysis (DTA) analysis were also evaluated [14]. FTIR study

of all feedstock samples was also carried out. These studies have allowed us for the first time

to compare the structural characteristics of those feedstocks. The information collected will

better know their potential as a biochar feedstock for the platform. Thermogravimetric

analysis (TG) and differential gravimetric analysis (DTA) of feedstocks provide data on the

thermal decomposition curves of the parts that can be used to monitor physicochemical

modifications that happen during the pre-treatment phase. This method also helps to evaluate

the amount of volatile and fixed carbon. Cellulose's crystallinity is generally estimated using a

value of CrI determined by an X-ray diffraction pattern. Crystallinity is a key feature of the

cellulose matrix, as irregular cellulose can be hydrolyzed more slowly than crystalline

cellulose.

Crystallinity may lead from a more filled framework of cellulose in the biomass, leading

in greater chemical and thermal stability. Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTIR) is a

commonly used instrument for qualitative and quantitative determination of the chemical

composition of biomass and of the crystalline characteristics of biomass. The most significant

characteristic of the fuel is the calorific value. Determines the energy value of the fuel. It can

be determined experimentally using a bomb calorimeter, or it can be calculated based on the

ultimate and/or approximate results of the Dulong equation. The physicochemical

characteristics of biomass are important. Affect the choice of technology and determine the

feasibility of the entire methods [15]. Researchers recorded on the research of features of

pyrolysis the impacts of minerals current in biomass and biomass on the properties of

pyrolysis, the distribution of the product and the properties of different biomass. Designed to

evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of some agricultural residues through

biochemical and petrochemical processes to evaluate biochemical potential [16]. However,

this study of research seeks to evaluate the physicochemical potential of some Malaysian

agricultural residues to evaluate biochar potential through physicochemical characterization.

2. METHODLOGY

2.1. Biomass Feedstock Preparation

Samples were cleaned to remove dirt, sand and unwanted material from the surface. Samples

were dried in an open environment for two days and then dried in an oven at 105 °C for 24

hours. Samples were grinding, sieving to one type of size which range from 500 -1,000 μm. It

then placed in an airtight container at room temperature prior to characterizations and

experiments. The agricultural residues selected as precursors for the preparation of biochar

were rice husk (RH), kenaf core (KC) and coconut coir (CC). These residues come from the

rice mill (Bota) and the kenaf is collected from kenaf plantation (Pahang).



Figure 1 Malaysian Agricultural Residues used for preparing biochar

Figure 2 Schematic diagram of physicochemical characterization of biomass

2.2. Raw biomass characterization

The selected agricultural biomass used for this study were characterized based on their

chemical, structural and textural characteristics. The proximate, ultimate and calorific value

analysis were carried out according to ASTM standard methods (ASTM E870-829).

2.2.1 Proximate and ultimate

Proximate analysis is the composition of the biomass in terms of moisture content, volatile

matter, ash content and fixed carbon. The moisture content analysis was carried out by using

electric Oven. The volatile matter and ash content analysis was carried out by using muffle

furnace at 950 °C. Then the amount of fixed carbon was calculated by using equation 1.

Ultimate analysis defines composition of biomass in terms of the hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen,

oxygen and sulphur contents. The composition was measured by using a CHN analyzer. CHN

analyzer measures the contents of total carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulphur in the biomass

and then oxygen content (wt. %) in the biomass sample was calculated by using equation 2.A

bomb calorimeter was used to measure the HHV of biomass samples.

F.C (wt. %) = 100 – {M.C + A.C + V.M} (wt.%). (Eq.1)


Production


O (wt.%) = 100 − {M.C + A.C + C + H + N} (wt.%). (2)

HHV(Mj/Kg) = 0.42*[(8080*%C) +[34500*(H%-(O%/8)] +2240*S]. (3)

where, O, M.C, A.C, C, H and N represent the oxygen content, moisture content, ash

content, carbon content, hydrogen content and nitrogen content respectively

2.2.2 FTIR

The functional groups on the surface of biomass show the biodegradability. The FTIR

spectroscopy will be conducted by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (model

NEXUS) to determine the functional groups attached to the surface of raw biomass and to

measure the changes in functional groups of the paralyzed samples during the pyrolysis

process.

2.2.3 TGA/DTA

The TGA pyrolysis of the biomass sample was carried out under a nitrogen (N2) atmosphere

at 150 ml / min. A biomass sample between 0.5 and 1.0 mg was pyrolyzed to a maximum

temperature of 700 °C. The sample was first heated to 110 °C and held for 30 minutes to

remove any moisture. Thereafter, the sample was separately heated at a rate 20 ° C / min until

it reached a maximum temperature. Experiment was repeated for each biomass. A graph of

mass loss versus temperature and a plot of mass loss versus temperature was plotted to

observe the degradation behavior of each type of biomass.

2.2.4 Mineralogy analysis

Mineralogy analysis were carried by using XRF and XRD analyzers. XRF analyzer was

determined the chemical composition of a sample by measuring the fluorescence (or

secondary) X-rays emitted by the sample as it is excited by the primary X-ray source while

XRD analyzer used to trace the presence of silica contents in all the samples. Calculating the

crystallinity index (CrI) of raw material samples according to empirical methods as given in

Eq. 4 proposed by Segal.

Crl (%) = [(l002 – l18)/ l002] (4)

where CrI is the crystallinity index, (I002) is the highest peak intensity (002) at an angle

of diffraction and (I18) is the intensity diffraction for irregular cellulose.

3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1. Proximate and Ultimate Analysis

Proximate and ultimate analysis were performed to study the properties of each biomass

feedstock. The moisture contents of the three biomasses shown in Table 1 were quite high,

probably due to the lower surface area to volume ratio resulting in a lower evaporation rate.

Therefore, these materials have a higher water storage capacity [17]. As shown in Table 1,

coconut coir was observed to have the highest volatile matter, which was 69.7 wt.%, followed

by kenaf, which was 64.2 wt.%. Therefore, the high volatile matter in coconut coir and kenaf

suggests that it may not be the preferred as solid fuel [18]. It can be clearly seen that kenaf

contains the highest ash and the content is 16.3 wt.% which is considerably much high

compared to rice husks and coconut coir which will result in low biochar quality. Therefore,

high levels of ash will have a negative impact on HHV. Typically, biomass with high

volatility produces large amounts of bio-oil and syngas, while fixed carbon increases biochar

production by thermochemical processes. The primary element discovered in the ultimate

analysis is the elementary composition of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Moreover, during

combustion, carbon and hydrogen are oxidized to form carbon dioxide and water,

respectively, through an exothermic reaction. The content of carbon and hydrogen adds

strongly to elevated yields of biochar, while the content of oxygen usually decreases biochar



quality. Other elements such as hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur were nearly comparable in all

biomasses. The highest O / C ratio shows the greater polarity and abundance of functional

surface groups containing polar oxygen in biochar. The greater the proportion, the more

functional groups that are polar. Furthermore, these groups may actively participate in

growing biochar porosity. The higher H / C ratio shows the good biochar’s aromatic and

stability. Table 1 Physicochemical properties of biomass

As shown in Table 2, It can be clearly seen that lignin content is high in coconut coir

compare to the other two biomasses whereas lignin yields contribute to the bio-char

production while cellulose and hemicelluloses contribute to the bio-oil production yield [19].

Table 2 Chemical Composition of lignocellulosic raw materials (% dry weight)

Figure 3 Ultimate analysis of rice husk, kenaf and coconut coir

01020304050

Rice Husk Kenaf coconut coir

Co

mp

osi

tio

n %

Biomass

Ultimate analysis

carbon oxygen Hydrogen nitrogen sulfur

Physicochemical Properties Lignocellulosic biomass

Rice Husk Kenaf Coconut coir

Proximate Analysis (wt.%)

Moisture Content 9.4 8.35 9.5

Volatile Matter 62 64.2 69.8

Ash content 13.2 16.32 9.3

Fixed carbon 15.4 11.13 11.4

Proximate Analysis (wt.%)

Carbon 37.8 39.2 42

Hydrogen 4.73 5.12 4.85

Nitrogen 0.45 0.35 0.42

Sulfur 0.17 0.22 0.13

Oxygen 43.5 45.6 40.5

O/C 1.15 1.11 1.04

H/C 0.125 0.13 0.115

(HHV) (MJ/Kg) (Calculated) 11.8 12.5 13.9

(HHV)(MJ/Kg) (Experimental) 12.7 13.4 14.6

Lignocellulosic

biomass Hemicellulose Cellulose Lignin Reference

Rice Husk 27.3 34.10 17.90 [20]

Kenaf 29.7 75.5 22.1 [21]

Coconut coir 11 46 43 [22]


Production


Figure 4 Proximate analysis of rice husk, kenaf and coconut coir.

3.2. Mineralogy Analysis

Figure 5 shows the XRD patterns of rice husk, Kenaf and coconut coir biomass materials.

Two crystallization peaks were found in this analysis. The crystallization peaks were found

between 14.5 and 17 and the second crystallization peak was found between 20.6 and 22.8,

confirming the presence of cellulose to crystallize into the atrium. However, the difference in

peak intensities observed with rice husk, kenaf and coconut coir biomass materials were due

to the polycrystalline structure, depending on the amount of cellulose present in the biomass

material. The crystallinity index (CrI) is measured by the ratio of the main crystal plane (002)

of 22.8° and the amorphous intensity of 17° of 2θ. The biomass material obtained by X-ray

diffraction as given in Fig 5, and Equation 4 estimates the quantitative crystallinity.

Table 3 summarizes the CrI of different biomass materials. The peak at I002 of several

samples determined by the peak intensity method indicate the presence of crystalline material

in the feedstocks, and the higher CrI is mainly due to the smaller amount of irregular material,

for example hemicellulose and lignin. It has been reported in the literature that the strong

crystalline arrangement of cellulose hinders enzymatic hydrolysis, resulting in lower yields of

fermentable sugars and ethanol. The highest and lowest CrI were found in Kenaf (40%) and

coconut coir (28%), respectively. This suggests that kenaf is less sensitive to enzymatic

digestion than other feedstocks, and coconut coir may be more easily digested by enzymes

[23]. The CrI and DTA (Tmax) of cellulose are reported in the same order, as CrI increased

the Tmax of biomass cellulose is increased. However, in this study, the results obtained from

Figures 5 and 6 as described above indicate that in some cases the CrI and the highest

temperature follow the reverse order.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Rice Husk Kenaf coconut coir

Co

mp

osi

tio

n %

Biomass

Proximate analysis

Moisture Volatile matter Ash Fixed carbon



Table 3 Crystallinity index and TGA (weight loss%)

Figure 5 X-ray diffraction pattern of the rice husk, kenaf and coconut coir biomass materials.

Figure 6 DTA of the rice husk, kenaf and coconut coir biomass materials

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

10 20 30 40

Pea

k I

nte

nsi

ty (

a.u

.)

Diffraction Angle 2θ (°)

Rice Husk

Kenaf

Coconut Coir

2θ=17

2θ=22.8°

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0 200 400 600

1st

der

ivat

ive

wei

ght

loss

(%

/C)

Temperature (C)

Kenaf

Stag

stage

stage

stage

Lignocellulosic biomass Rice Husk Kenaf Coconut coir

Crl(%) 35.84 40 28

T Max (cellulose, C°) 245 252 248

T Max (Hemicellulose, C°) 220 222 228

TGA Stage Mass Loss %

Stage 1 7.7 5.7 7.7

Stage 2 14 17.7 19

Stage 3 42 40 38

Stage 4 60 61 64


Production


According to the XRF results of the rice husk powder, it was observed that elemental

silicon (Si) was present at approximately 68.70%, followed by potassium (K) at 11.90%, and

all other elements were less than 5%. The elements of ruthenium, rubidium and copper are

present in an amount of less than 0.09%. In the case of oxide compounds, the proportion of

silica was found to be as high as about 82.5%, followed by potassium oxide (K2O - 5.45%)

and rubidium oxide have the lowest oxide content of 0.01% (Table 4). Due to its high silica

content in rice husks, it can be an economically viable raw material to produce silicates and

silica. Biochar and bio silicon from high silicon-containing biomass can be made into high

value-added porous carbon and silicon materials, such as silica/carbon nanoparticles,

mesoporous silica/carbon, with many chemical and biological properties. It can be used to

produce porous structure biochar which can be reactive for adsorption process.

Table 4 Chemical Oxide and elements Composition of biomass using XRF analysis

Chemical Oxide Composition

Chemical Elemental Composition

Formula Rice Husk

kenaf

Coconut coir

Formula

Rice

Husk

Kenaf

Coconut

Coir

SiO2 82.50 0.49 10.50 Si 68.70 n.d. 6.06

K2O 5.45 51.90 29.90 K 11.9 56.10 33.60

P2O5 4.52 4.21 5.94 P 4.89 2.08 3,19

CaO 2.14 16.10 7.62 Ca 4.47 14.12 7.06

SO3 1.66 5.87 2.03 Cl 3.92 21.5 14.70

Cl 1.48 17.30 11.60 Fe 2.62 0.73 24.24

Fe2O3 1.24 0.75 24.40 S 1.63 2.95 1.05

MgO 0.39 2.77 0.87 Cr 0.53 n.d. 1.23

Cr2O3 0.26 n.d. 1.18 Mn 0.49 n.d. 0.25

MnO 0.17 0.20 n.d. Ni 0.24 0.11 0.80

NiO 0.10 n.d. 0.68 Zn 0.13 0.27 5.39

ZnO 0.05 0.20 4.66 Ru 0.07 n.d. n.d.

MoO3 0.03 n.d. n.d. Cu 0.06 0.16 0.34

CuO 0.02 0.11 0.27 Rb 0.05 0.11 n.d.

Rb2O 0.01 0.04 1.610PPM Mg 0.26 1.75 0.89

3.3. TGA analysis

3.3.1 Biomass types effects

The results of the TGA analysis are shown in (a) and (b) of Figure 7, which show the weight

loss curve (TG) and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) evolution curves as a function of

temperature, respectively, for heating at a fixed temperature. All biomass heating rates (20 ° C

/ min) and biomass particle size are between 0.5 and 1 mm. Generally, biomass pyrolysis can

be divided into three main stages: drying and evaporation of light particles (stage I),

volatilization of hemicellulose and cellulose (stage II) and decomposition of lignin (stage III).

Stage I happen at temperatures below 150 °C, stage II Start degassing from 150 to 375 ° C,

and finally stage III at temperatures above 400 ° C, which can be observed in Fig. 7. This may

be due to the evolution of water and light volatile compounds during the degradation of

biomass by pyrolysis in TGA [24].



Table 4 Thermal degradation of Rice husk, Kenaf and coconut coir

Figure 7 a) Thermogravimetric analysis and (b) Derived thermogravimetric analysis (20 ° C / min)

As shown in Figure 1 (b), It was observed that stage I (moisture evolution) in all biomass

samples occurred between 30 and 150 °C. Thus, it can be concluded that all biomass samples

have a similar pattern of moisture evolution in stage I. In detail, stage I was identified

between 25 and 121 °C for kenaf as indicated in Table 4 and has high mass loss (5.7%)

among other biomass samples in stage I. In addition, it directly reflects low moisture content

at 8.5 wt.% as indicated in Table 1. As shown in Figure 7(a), It was observed that kenaf

achieved the highest mass loss of 93 %, which might be due to high volatile matter. On the

Lignocellulosic

biomass Stage

T range

(°C) Mass loss

Residual

mass at 650

°C

I 30-110 7.7

Rice Husk II 200-295 14 26.8

III 300-650 42

I 30-110 5.7

Kenaf II 210-300 17.7 6.6

III 300-650 40

I 30-100 7.7

Coconut coir II 215-315 19 14.5

III 315-650 38


Production


other hand, the order of mass loss percentage in stage II can be ranked as follows: coconut

coir (19%), kenaf (17.7%) and rice husk (14 %). In general, lignocellulose is made up of three

major constituents: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Cellulose is composed of β- 1,4

glucan chains associated with one another through extensive hydrogen bonding, whereas

hemicellulose is characterized by linear polymers and they are usually substituted with other

sugar side chains to prevent the formation of crystalline structures. Regarding lignin, it is a

phenolic polymer that essentially encases the polysaccharides of cell walls, producing a strong

and durable composite material resistant to enzymatic attack. In addition, from previous

studies done by researchers, it has been recognized that the lignocellulosic structure of

biomass can be qualitatively identified by means of DTG curve. Biomass is composed of

different components including moisture, extractives, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and

ash. These components degrade at different temperatures and thermal behavior.

Hemicellulose degrades at a temperature lower than 350 °C, cellulose degrades between 250

and 500 °C, and lignin degrades at a temperature above 400 °C. Table 2 shows the results of

chemical compositions of the biomass samples determined by wet chemical method from the

study done previously. It has been seen that kenaf and coconut coir have much higher

cellulose content at 75 and 46 wt.%, respectively.

3.3. FTIR analysis

Figure 8 demonstrates a wavelength variety of 0 cm-1 to 4500 cm-1 of rice husk, kenaf and

coconut coir spectra. The 3400 and 3414 cm-1 absorption bands constitute O-H bonds and

hydroxyl hydrogen bond groups. The peak close 2900-1850 cm-1 reflects the stretching of the

methyl group-CH and-CH2 which confirms the existence of the elements of cellulose and

hemicellulose in the samples. In rice husks and coconut coir, peaks at 1546 cm-1 and 1535

cm-1 show C= O and C-O stretching, which is known for the organic ester bonding of

hemicellulose and lignin to coumaric acid. Absorption close to 1140-960 cm-1 shows that C-

O and O-H extend and represent polysaccharide cellulose, providing the particles with a

crystalline structure.

Figure 8 FTIR spectra of rice husk, kenaf and coconut coir



The result of FTIR analysis suggested that there are an appropriate functional group

(hydroxyl and carboxyl) which will help in producing recalcitrant biochar rich in carboxyl and

hydroxyl functional groups for a long-term heavy metal removal strategy in contaminated

water.

5. CONCLUSIONS

The chemical and physical characterization of all these agricultural waste materials shows that

rice husks, coconut coir and kenaf are prospective candidates for biochar production due to

their large content of cellulose and hemicellulose and are therefore valuable to the conversion

system. Although three of these biomasses were found to have lower calorific values, they

still showed good precursor for biochar production. The highest content of rice husks makes it

the material of choice for porous biochar production. Coconut coir has a high lignin content

and is suitable for thermochemical conversion to highly yield of biochar, which meets the

needs of biochar and its application in the adsorption process. This is the first systematic

report on the physical and chemical properties of three biomass residues in Malaysia. The

study provides the basis for future employment of biomass biochar. The effects of these

physical and chemical characteristics on thermochemical processes in biochar production are

underway.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank Universiti Teknologi Petronas Malaysia for financing the

project under Yayasan UTP with grant code YUTP,01 53AA-E49.

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Production


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PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF DIFFERENT … · 2019-10-21 · and those features are enough to be used un biochar production[6].Biochar is a carbon-rich charcoal formed by pyrolysis