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Retort Co-carbonization of Daniellia oliveri Leaves: Effect of Cow Dung Co-feed on Biochar Properties

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Abstract

Purpose

Daniellia oliveri sheds a large quantity of leaves in the dry season in sub-Saharan Africa. Retort carbonization is a recent biomass conversion technique where the flue gas generated in the product zone is re-combusted in the heating zone to produce BC. This work shows that good-quality biochar (DO-BC) can be obtained from the retort carbonization of these leaves. We also show that the utilization of cow dung as co-feed improves the quality of the BC obtained (DC-BC).

Methods

The process was conducted at ambient pressure and 100 min of process time. The BC yield for DO-BC was 28.01% at a peak temperature of 382.2 °C and 38.69% for DC-BC at a peak temperature of 361.6 °C. The BCs were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Xray Spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Thermal Analysis/Thermogravimetric Analysis (DTA/TGA), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis.

Results

The specific surface increased from 114 m2/g for DO-BC to 174 m2/g for DC-BC respectively. Cow dung co-feed led to significant morphological differences in the BC. DC-BC had more surface heterogeneity and more inorganic elements. The average roughness was 31.25 × 103 μm for DO-BC and 29.21 × 103 μm for DC-BC respectively. Functional groups like C–H, C–O, C=C, O–H, and C–N were observed in the BCs and the cow dung co-feed led to more C–O and C–H functional groups in the BC. The BCs showed similar thermal characteristics with a maximum thermal degradation temperature of around 400 °C.

Conclusions

It was surmised that the systematic addition of a secondary component to the feedstock can improve the yield and surface properties of the final BC obtained.

Graphical Abstract

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Data Availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article (and its supplementary information files).

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Funding

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P. M. B. 5025, Awka, Nigeria

    Joshua O. Ighalo

  2. Tim Taylor Department of Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, 66506, KS, USA

    Joshua O. Ighalo

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, P. M. B. 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria

    Comfort Abidemi Adeyanju & Adewale George Adeniyi

  4. Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P. M. B. 5025, Awka, Nigeria

    Kingsley O. Iwuozor & Ebuka Chizitere Emenike

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  1. Joshua O. Ighalo
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  2. Comfort Abidemi Adeyanju
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  3. Kingsley O. Iwuozor
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  4. Ebuka Chizitere Emenike
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  5. Adewale George Adeniyi
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Contributions

JOI (conceptualization; data curation; methodology; writing—original draft; writing—review & editing; resources), CAA (conceptualization; data curation; methodology), KOI (writing—original draft; writing - review & editing), ECE (writing—original draft; writing—review & editing), AGA (conceptualization; writing—review & editing; supervision; validation; project administration; resources).

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Correspondence to Joshua O. Ighalo or Adewale George Adeniyi.

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Ighalo, J.O., Adeyanju, C.A., Iwuozor, K.O. et al. Retort Co-carbonization of Daniellia oliveri Leaves: Effect of Cow Dung Co-feed on Biochar Properties. Waste Biomass Valor (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-024-02461-z

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