Comprehensive Characterization of Carbonaceous Material Derived from Rice Husk Pyrolysis and Its Potential for CO₂...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Rice husks are abundant agricultural byproducts.
• Pyrolysis is a viable method for converting biomass into valuable carbonaceous materials.
• Developing efficient adsorbents for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture is crucial for environmental sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize carbonaceous materials from non-pretreated rice husks via pyrolysis.
• To evaluate the CO2 adsorption capacity of the synthesized materials.
• To investigate the correlation between material properties and CO2 adsorption performance.

Main Methods:

• Pyrolysis of rice husk at controlled temperatures (700-1000 °C) under nitrogen atmosphere.
• Characterization using various analytical techniques to determine surface area, pore volume, and functional groups.
• CO2 adsorption experiments to measure adsorption capacity and isotherm modeling (Langmuir model).

Main Results:

• Synthesized carbonaceous material exhibited a surface area of 450 m²/g and a microporous volume of 0.15 cm³/g.
• Identified oxygenated functional groups (hydroxyl, epoxy) and amorphous silicon in the material.
• Achieved a maximum CO2 adsorption capacity of 1.0 mmol/g, with a strong correlation between functional groups and adsorption.
• Langmuir model indicated monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface.

Conclusions:

• Pyrolysis of rice husk yields a promising carbonaceous adsorbent for CO2 capture.
• Oxygenated functional groups significantly enhance CO2 adsorption capacity, alongside surface area and porosity.
• The material's properties suggest potential for applications in carbon capture technologies.