Production and Utilization of Biochar from Municipal Solid Waste Group members: Dana Qamhiyeh Dima Shnity Fatima Abu Jaish Suzan Shnity Supervisors: Dr. Abdelrahim Abusafa Dr. Abdelhaleem Khader 2023/
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Date
2024-07-29
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Abstract
Abstract
This project addresses the global challenge of municipal solid waste (MSW) management,
focusing on Palestine, and explores sustainable solutions through biochar production. Biochar,
produced via pyrolysis of organic waste, presents an eco-friendly alternative to conventional
waste disposal methods. The project aims to alleviate environmental impacts associated with
MSW, offering a dual benefit of waste reduction and sustainable resource utilization.
Key objectives include production and characterizing biochar from cooked rice and
pyrolysis conditions, evaluating its physical and chemical properties, and exploring its
applications in environmental remediation. Experimental methodologies involve conducting
pyrolysis under controlled conditions, and analyzing biochar properties such as pH, surface area,
water holding capacity, and ash content.
In this project, rice was exclusively used to produce biochar, with no prior studies
available. The biochar samples showed varying physical and chemical properties depending on
the pyrolysis conditions. For instance, a sample treated for 3 hours at 400°C had a surface area of
307.40 m², while a sample treated for 2 hours at 450°C had 285.45 m², compared to activated
carbon with 1,317.45 m². Biochar pH ranged from 5.46 to 7.36, while activated biochar had a pH
of 9.72. The highest water holding capacity (WHC) was 180% for biochar treated for 1 hour at
450°C, dropping to 80% after 2 hours, versus 160% for activated carbon. Ash did not appear at
high temperatures, and no combustion occurred, highlighting the potential for further
investigation. Adsorption efficiency using methylene blue dye varied with pyrolysis conditions,
favoring the Freundlich isotherm for heterogeneous surfaces and the Langmuir isotherm for
homogeneous ones. Surface area increased with chemical activation using Phosphoric acid
(H3PO4) to 346.06 m² and to 807.47 m² with physical activation at 750°C for one hour.
After studying the physical and chemical properties of all the samples, the sample treated
at 450°C for 2 hours was selected.