Utilizing Indonesian Empty Palm Fruit Bunches: Biochar Synthesis via Temperatures Dependent Pyrolysis

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Catalysis

Background:

• Biomass is an underutilized energy source.
• Biochar, derived from biomass pyrolysis, offers high porosity and surface area, ideal for catalyst support.
• Indonesia's palm oil industry produces abundant empty fruit bunches (EFBs), a viable feedstock for biochar.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize biochar from EFB fibers at various temperatures.
• To analyze the structural, particle size, and surface area changes of EFB-derived biochar.
• To evaluate the potential of EFB biochar as a catalyst support for green energy applications.

Main Methods:

• Pyrolysis of EFB fibers at 500, 800, and 1000 °C.
• Infrared and Raman spectroscopy for structural analysis.
• Particle size and surface area measurements.

Main Results:

• Biochar synthesis from EFB fibers yielded optimal results at 1000 °C.
• The highest surface area achieved was 10.6 × 10² m²/g with a particle size of 71.1 nm.
• Spectroscopic analysis confirmed the formation of nano-crystalline graphite (5.47 nm crystallite size) at 1000 °C, indicating higher defect density.

Conclusions:

• EFB-derived biochar exhibits promising properties for catalyst support applications.
• The synthesized biochar can be utilized in various green energy technologies, including photocatalysis and electrocatalysis.
• Further research into EFB biochar is warranted for optimizing its use in sustainable energy solutions.