Upgrading from batch to continuous flow process for the pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse: Structural characterization of the biochars produced

Paulo Apolinário da Silva Veiga; Matheus Henrique Cerqueira; Mayara Gabriela Gonçalves; Tassya Thaiza da Silva Matos; Glaucia Pantano; Juliana Schultz; Jailson Bittencourt de Andrade; Antonio Salvio Mangrich

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112145

Upgrading from batch to continuous flow process for the pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse: Structural characterization of the biochars produced

J Environ Manage. 2021 May 1:285:112145. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112145. Epub 2021 Feb 18.

Authors

Paulo Apolinário da Silva Veiga¹, Matheus Henrique Cerqueira¹, Mayara Gabriela Gonçalves¹, Tassya Thaiza da Silva Matos¹, Glaucia Pantano², Juliana Schultz¹, Jailson Bittencourt de Andrade³, Antonio Salvio Mangrich⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
² Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil. Electronic address: glaucia.pantano@ufpr.br.
³ National Institute of Science and Technology, Energy and Environment (INCT-E&A), Salvador, BA, Brazil; SENAI-CIMATEC University Center, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Interdisciplinary Center for Energy and Environment - CIEnAm, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology, Energy and Environment (INCT-E&A), Salvador, BA, Brazil. Electronic address: mangrich@ufpr.br.

PMID: 33610940
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112145

Abstract

The waste from agriculture can be used for biochar production by the pyrolysis process. The present work aimed was to produce sugarcane bagasse biochars using different temperatures and processes (batch and pilot-scale continuous flow). The samples were characterized by FTIR, functional group pKa, elemental analysis, zeta potential, Raman spectroscopy, EPR, and SEM. The FTIR spectra showed bands around 1400-1650 cm^-1 corresponded to vibrations of CC bonds and pKa revealed the presence of carboxylic acids (pKa ≤5) and lactones (pKa ~5-9). The elemental analyses (H/C ~ 0.31) and Raman spectra (I_D/I_G ~ 0.55) confirmed greater carbonization and less structural disorder of the material produced using the continuous flow process. SEM images showed that the biochar morphologies were similar to that of the precursor biomass, with the formation of pores. The continuous flow process is a promising technique for the production of biochars with high carbon contents and aromatic structures, as well as lower defect degrees, compared to biochars produced using a batch process.

Keywords: Biochar production; Pilot scale; Rotary kiln reactor.

MeSH terms

Biomass
Cellulose
Charcoal
Pyrolysis*
Saccharum*

Substances

biochar
Charcoal
Cellulose
bagasse