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Flow diagram for sustainable charcoal production.
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Charcoal products can be produced from biomass sources such as charcoal from wood, woody agricultural products, the biogenic fraction of municipal wastes, nut shells, etc. The liquid and gaseous fractions obtained from biomass are a valuable fuel source; however, the solid fraction (charcoal) has the recovery potential of carbon black or as carbon...
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... flow diagram for sustainable charcoal production is presented in Figure 1. Under sustainable charcoal production, the aim is to minimize material and energy losses at all stages. ...
Context 2
... available advantage of HTC is that wet biomass can be converted into carbon-rich solids at relatively high yields without the need for an energy-intensive drying process before or during the experiment. General conditions of HTC indicate temperatures (455-520 K), high pressure (2-10 MPa), and presence of liquid water (Mumme et al, 2011). ...
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... Charcoal is produced from wood by a process called carbonization or pyrolysis [48,49]. The process occurs when there is no oxygen or limited air flow to the charcoal kiln. ...
Before formally introducing chemistry in schools, Africans practiced it as ethnochemistry as they lived in their ethnic groupings. To a large extent, it may be true for other ethnic groups and communities across the globe as well. This study aimed to document a drop from the ocean of ethnochemistry knowledge that people in Zambia practiced in the past and modern times to use such ethnochemistry knowledge to teach chemistry in ethnically responsive ways. Further, this study sought to raise the profile of indigenous cultural knowledge in the globalized world dominated by modernity. Ethnography research design was used including unstructured interviews for data collection. This study purposively selected twenty (20) research participants using snowball sampling. Results show that many relevant ethnochemistry practices in Zambia can be used to grow the national economy, enrich the teaching of Secondary School Chemistry to ethnically diverse students, and generate secondary school students’ interest and better familiarity with Chemistry.
... The amount of water in the sample of briquettes is determined by MC. Specifically, the briquette's level of dryness or wetness [7,51]. Studies have shown that high moisture content values have a negative impact on the fuel properties of biomass, hence they are undesirable [19]. ...
As the world faces the challenges of climate change and diminishing fossil fuel reserves, researchers and scientists have increasingly explored the use of plant waste as a viable biofuel source. Among the various plant waste materials, watermelon peel waste, which is typically discarded during processing of beverages or consumption , has gained attention due to its high cellulose content. This study focuses on comparing the properties and environmental sustainability of watermelon peel waste biofuel treated with H 2 SO 4 to raw watermelon peel waste biofuel. From a sustainable energy perspective, maximizing the amount of energy recovered from solid bio-fuel is a critical consideration. Thus, the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was developed in this study to predict the calorific value (a significant indicator of the energy values) of both H 2 SO 4-treated and raw watermelon waste briquettes while providing useful insights into the effect of the H 2 SO 4 treatment on the energy value of the briquette. The results indicate that the watermelon peel waste treated with acid performed better compared to the untreated sample. It exhibited a higher mean fixed carbon content and calorific value of 22.70 ± 0.16 % and 14.62 ± 0.21 MJ/kg, respectively. Additionally, the treated sample showed a significantly lower mean ash content of 11.20 ± 0.13 %. The EDXRF analysis revealed that the treated samples had reduced proportions of Nickel, Sulfur, and Arsenic, along with a higher carbon count. The FTIR analysis confirmed surface modification in the acid-treated watermelon peel waste (ATWB) through a decrease in lignin content (8.41 ± 0.014 wt%). It also identified a shift in the CO vibrational stretch from 1021 cm − 1 in the untreated watermelon peel waste (UWB) sample to 1028 cm − 1 in the ATWB. Moreover, the SEM micrographs displayed a well-packed surface, indicating a reduction in fiber diameter (porosity) in the treated sample. The recorded RMSE, MAD, MAE, and MAPE values of the model are 0.1427, 0.0883, 0.1246 and 1.2313 at the training phases and 0.1581, 0.0997, 0.1484, and 1.9011 at the testing. The regression plot of calorific value with a R 2-value of 0.9065, depicts a strong positive linear relationship between the predicted and real values. This outcome of the study suggests an improvement in thermal energy release and enhanced combustibility while the ANFIS model's ability to optimize energy values aligns with the objective of developing eco-friendly bio-briquettes.
... Charcoal is the product obtained from the pyrolytic process of organic material (mainly wood) conducted at low oxygen concentrations and temperatures to avoid the complete combustion of biomass into ashes [1][2][3][4][5]. Based on the heating rate, residence time, and temperature used, pyrolysis can be distinguished into slow (carbonization), intermediate, and fast [3]. ...
... Temperature and residence time are the main factors affecting the carbonization process and charcoal properties. In the literature, several authors have highlighted how high carbonization temperature and residence time determine a charcoal yield reduction but improving the product quality by modifying the charcoal structure, porosity, and density, as well as increasing the fixed carbon content [3,5,12,24,28,30,42,45,[47][48][49][50]. Low carbonization temperatures would result in a poor-quality product with irregular and smoky combustion [35,51]. ...
... Carbon is the main chemical element present in charcoal, with values above 80%. The carbonization process determines a strong increase in the carbon and nitrogen content compared to the starting material [5,9,25,28,42,72,73,84], while the hydrogen and oxygen content decrease since they are removed during the carbonization process mainly in the form of CO, CO 2 , CH 4 , and H 2 O [9,24,28,42,84]. Table 4. Wood species used for charcoal production. ...
The global charcoal trade is steadily growing, with high-income countries importing significant quantities of this material from regions where its production is often associated with severe environmental issues, including forest overexploitation, illegal logging, and environmental pollution. Promoting local charcoal production in high-income countries is crucial to addressing these challenges. In this study, we have chosen to focus on the European context, specifically emphasizing Italy as a case study. Our study aimed to comprehensively compare five distinct charcoal production systems, including both traditional and modern solutions, with a specific focus on evaluating the quality of the resulting charcoal. Additionally, improvements were evaluated to enhance production efficiency. Traditional systems cannot satisfy production requests, resulting in inefficiencies in manpower, costs, times, and yield. Conversely, recent innovations consider mobile and stationary kiln prototypes. Mobile kilns offer flexibility and cost savings but require operator expertise, limit automation, and have long cycles. In contrast, stationary systems operate continuously, increasing productivity and efficiency, despite higher investment costs. Notably, charcoal quality showed minimal differences. These findings highlighted the potential of new technologies to enhance efficiency, reduce cost and environmental impact, and promote sustainable charcoal production.
... Incorporating biochar into the soil can enhance its fertility, improve water retention, and contribute to long-term carbon sequestration, thereby mitigating climate change [29,30]. Alternatively, the charcoal can be used as a fuel for thermal or electrical energy production, providing a renewable and carbon-neutral energy source [31]. ...
Evaluating Global Warming Potential (GWP) in waste management scenarios is crucial, especially in light of the escalating global concern for climate change and the pivotal role that waste management plays in mitigating this crisis. This research examines the GWP of three distinct waste management scenarios, each with a unique approach: (1) open burning, a method involving direct combustion with a GWP of 1600.1 kg·CO2eq, chiefly attributed to direct emissions without any mitigation tactics; (2) energy recovery, which capitalizes on converting waste into energy, yielding a GWP of 1255.4 kg·CO2eq, the reduction resulting primarily from avoided heat production; and (3) pyrolysis, an advanced thermal decomposition process that remarkably registers a negative GWP of −1595.1 kg·CO2eq, mainly credited to the carbon sequestration capacity of biochar production and optimal energy conversion efficiency. These outcomes emphasize the ecological merits of waste management approaches that produce lower, or even better, negative GWP values. In particular, pyrolysis emerges as a powerful way of transforming waste management into a potential carbon sink, proving crucial for climate change counteraction. Nevertheless, for effective real-world deployment, the study highlights the importance of addressing technical, economic, and societal challenges, underscoring the need for holistic, interdisciplinary research.
... Natural organic materials such as wood, charcoal, coconut shells, peat, natural bitumen and asphalt, hemp, kenaf, and sheep's wool are moving toward a completely sustainable energy strategy [23]- [25]. Demibras showed in his research that lowcost and environmentally sustainable charcoal raw materials produced from biomass sources from wood, woody agricultural products, the biogenic fraction of municipal waste, nut shells, etc. [26]. ...
Wood charcoal is a sustainable, renewable, and environmentally friendly material with the use that the acoustic device can produce. Charcoal made of wood waste materials allows for improving indoor acoustical quality. Therefore, this objective of the article is to investigate the sound scattering coefficients of QRD with the perforation ratio of oak wood charcoal elements. Sound scattering coefficient calculated with the measurement of the reverberation time in the reverberation chamber. The calculation results of the scattering coefficient show the growth of scattering in the frequencies - the highest value reached 0.88 (diffuser N7 with charcoal). The effectiveness of diffusers to diffuse sound waves increases as the number of wells grows. The diffuser with 80 % charcoal elements showed a higher scattering coefficient compared to the diffuser without charcoal elements.
... Charcoal is produced by heating organic materials in a low-oxygen environment to remove water and volatile components (Demirbaş et al., 2016). Activated charcoal is produced by further treatment of charcoal to increase its surface area and remove pollutants, making it useful in water filtration, decolorization, and as a "universal antidote" in poisoning cases (Abdollahi & Hosseini, 2014;Conte et al., 2021;Newcombe, 2006). ...
The construction industry heavily relies on cement, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion. To address these concerns, this study investigates the utilization of biochar and charcoal, derived from organic waste, as partial cement replacements in concrete. The objective is to determine optimal replacement percentages and assess the effectiveness of these by-products in managing organic waste and reducing emissions. The study compares the behavior and the suitability of biochar and charcoal in concrete based on their mechanical strength properties. Comprehensive laboratory testing is conducted to evaluate compressive strength, flexural strength, and other relevant mechanical properties. The findings demonstrate distinct effects of biochar and charcoal on concrete properties, with variations in optimal replacement percentages. Notably, biochar outperforms charcoal in all mechanical aspects, particularly in enhancing flexural strength. Further research is recommended to explore the influence of different biochar types on flexural strength. Incorporating biochar and charcoal as cement admixtures shows promise in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the negative environmental impact of organic waste in the construction industry.
... On a dry-yield basis, it typically takes 5 tonnes of wood to generate 1 tonne of charcoal. This sum will vary somewhat according to the temperature at which carbonization occurs and the rate at which biomass is heated (Demirbas et al., 2016). ...
Biomass as energy source is being utilized since dawn of humans for various purposes like cooking, heating, and lighting. Prior to the nineteenth century, plant oil was the primary source of lighting fuel and wood was the primary fuel for cooking and heating. However, discovery of fossil fuel like coal and petroleum gradually reduced the use of biomass. Fossil fuels currently account for >80% of all energy use worldwide. With growing environmental concern and depleting fossil fuel resources, geophysical instability and climate change have changed the way biomass were thought of. The main benefits of biomass over other forms of renewable energy are that it is almost carbon neutral and that it is widely available. The environmental advantages of liquid biofuels, particularly biodiesel, have made them more appealing than biomass as a source of energy and wider use in automobile section. Production of biofuel domestically, and its use as alternate fuel, can help to reduce reliance on petroleum oil, decrease trade imbalances, air pollution, and GHG emissions. However, the second-generation biofuels, raw materials, high cost, marketing, and priority given to it all suggest that switching the energy demand from fossil fuels to biofuels will be difficult, at least for a few years. However, with demand and intervention of strong government policies, use of nonfood biomass will be a sustainable step toward reliving our reliance for fossil fuel. Moreover, it will help in achieving our goal in reducing carbon footprint.KeywordsBiofuelsBiodiesel biomassClimate changeEthanolEnergyFossil fuel
... Charcoal, like biochar, is a black carbon residue produced by pyrolyzing plant materials to remove water and volatile components (Demirbaş et al., 2016). The type of material and the pyrolysis conditions affect the physical properties of charcoal. ...
The construction industry heavily relies on cement, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions during production and depletes natural resources. Moreover, the decomposition of organic waste is a significant source of emissions that contribute to environmental damage due to the lack of proper management. However, biochar and charcoal derived from organic waste can be utilized as admixtures in concrete to minimize these emissions. This study investigates the mechanical properties of concrete with partial cement replacement using biochar and charcoal separately. The aim is to determine the optimal percentages of cement replacement and the effectiveness of using these byproducts to manage organic waste and reduce emissions. The report compares the behavior and suitability of biochar and charcoal in concrete based on the mechanical strength of the resulting concrete. It suggests that both materials exert distinct effects on the properties of concrete, with the optimal replacement percentage variations. However, it is noteworthy that biochar outperforms charcoal in all mechanical aspects of concrete and significantly improves flexural strength. However, more research is needed to determine the effect of different biochar on flexural strength in concrete. Recent research has demonstrated that incorporating biochar and charcoal as cement admixtures holds significant promise in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the negative environmental impact of organic waste in the construction industry.
... Biochar is used for soil amendment, while biocoal or Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) is used as an alternative fuel [17,18]. Carbonization, wood distillation, and destructive distillation are other names for pyrolysis processes [19]. Refuse Derived Fuel can be produced using several processing techniques by removing most of the biodegradable fractions (e.g., food waste), metals, and glass from the waste. ...
... While its briquette counterparts are shown in Table 7. MC determines the amount of water component in briquettes sample. That is, degree of dryness or wetness of briquette [1,16]. High moisture content value is undesirable because it have been reported to negatively affect the combustion characteristics of biomass [19]. ...
This study produced and compared the combustion properties of alkaline treated Celosia argentea (TCAB) and untreated Celosia argentea (UCAB) waste bio-briquettes using starch as binder. Heat energy of TCAB and UCAB were determined. Potential toxic elements, surface modification and bond orientation of briquettes were monitored using EDXRF, SEM and FTIR, respectively. Levenberg-Marquardt Back-Propagation based Artificial Neural Network (LMBP-ANN) and Fuzzy C-means Clustered Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (FCM-ANFIS) models were adopted for the bio-briquettes. Calorific values of 11.38 ± 0.20 MJ/Kg (UCAB) and 12.79 ± 0.25 MJ/Kg (TCAB) at p < 0.05 were recorded. EDXRF showed percentage reduction in Pb content of TCAB (1.425 %) as against 3.253 % in UCAB. FTIR recorded a CO stretch difference of 4 cm − 1 , while SEM shows morphological restructuring. FCM-ANFIS outperformed LMBP-ANN with root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), mean absolute deviation (MAD) and R 2-values of 0.0748, 2.4756, 0.0687 and 0.9323, respectively at the testing phase for heat content, suggesting strong agreement between the experimental data and predicted values. The study shows that alkaline pretreatment enhanced the combustion properties and eco-friendliness of the solid-biofuel.
