Synergistic effects of low-/medium-vacuum carbonization on physico-chemical properties and stability characteristics of biochars

Abstract

Vacuum carbonization is considered to be an effective and promising thermochemical-tool for resource and energy recovery by collecting and reusing pyrolysis products and volatiles. In this study, thermochemical conversion of orange peel to biochar under low- and medium-vacuum pyrolysis conditions were investigated for product distribution and stability characteristics of biochar. The pyrolysis experiments were executed under three different conditions i.e., N2 atmosphere (without vacuum), low-vacuum (1013.2 Pa) and medium-vacuum (101.3 Pa) in the temperature range of 300–700 °C. The derived biochars were characterized for its aromaticity, polarity, elemental composition, pH, electrical conductivity, surface area, thermal decomposition, FTIR spectroscopy and chemical oxidation properties. Results revealed that low and medium-vacuum pyrolysis had an overriding effect on the H/C (aromaticity) and O/C (polarity) ratios, surface functional groups, as well as on the chemical oxidation potential of derived biochars. A significant reduction in biochar yield (1.1–1.9 folds), increased aromaticity with low H/C (1.3–2.0 folds) and O/C (1.95–4.75 folds) values was observed with increased pyrolysis temperature, under low- and medium-vacuum pyrolysis compared to the N2 atmosphere. It was also found that biochar produced in the temperature range of 300–700 °C, under low and medium-vacuum pyrolysis were comparatively preferable to biochar stability. It is concluded that biochar produced at low-medium vacuum pyrolysis conditions shows higher carbon sequestration potential compared to the N2 atmosphere.