Characterization of oil palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) biochar activated with potassium hydroxide under different pyrolysis temperature

• Published in: Journal of Engineering Science and Technology
• Main Author: Bakhtiar M.H.A.B.M.; Sari N.B.A.; Yaacob A.B.; Yunus M.F.B.M.; Ismail K.B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor's University 2019
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85073008705&partnerID=40&md5=d0d83788889d2b7560b8f52bcf504f54

Malaysia is among the top oil palm producers and exporters in the world. In consequence, this industry creates a huge amount of empty fruit bunch (EFB) as an agriculture by-product from the processing line. In order to convert this waste biomass into high value-added products, biochar from oil palm EFB was activated by using KOH under low, medium and high activation temperature. (400°C, 600°C and 800°C). The physico-chemical characteristics of activated EFB biochars were evaluated by using proximate and ultimate analysis, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area, surface morphology using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. The results of activated EFB biochar that produced at low and medium temperature (400 and 600°C) had shown high in yield, well developed pores and enriched with oxygen containing functional groups (O-H and C-O). In contrast, biochar that activated with high activation temperature (800°C) produced more total and fixed carbon, high BET surface area, total pore volume and micropore volume as well as aromatic nature. © 2019 School of Engineering, Taylor's University.