Effect of Temperature on Biochar Product Yield from Selected Lignocellulosic Biomass in a Pyrolysis Process

Abstract

In this work selected biomass (Afzelium Africana (apa wood), Milicia excels (iroko wood), and Elaeis guineensis (palm kernel shell)) were converted to char, liquid, and gaseous products in a fixed-bed reactor using pyrolysis process at different temperatures (400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 °C). The amount of char produced from the process decreased with increasing temperature severity across species. The industrial application qualities of the produced charcoal regarding high fixed carbon, content and percentage carbon, lower moisture content, volatile matter, sulphur and ash contents were obtained at high temperature and heating rate for all species. The carbon content of the produced charcoals approached absolute values between 600 and 800 °C for all species, making temperature severity a factor at upgrading biomass energy content. Temperature and heating rates are therefore considered as major factors for producing industrial charcoals that is more reactive (rich in carbon), smokeless in quality and harder in texture across biomass species.