Preparation and Characterization of Biochar from Palm Kernel

Shells as an Activated Carbon Precursors with the Pyrolysis Method

Ratni Dewi

1,3

, Harry Agusnar

, Zul Alfian

and Tamrin

Postgraduate Chemistry Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara,

Jl. Bioteknologi No. 1 Kampus USU, Medan, Indonesia

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara,

Jl. Bioteknologi No. 1, Medan 20155, Indonesia

Chemical Engineering Department, Lhokseumawe State Polytechnic, Lhokseumawe, Indonesia

Keywords: Activated Carbon, Biochar, Precursor, Palm Kernel Shell, Pyrolysis.

Abstract: In this study the preparation of biochar from palm kernel shells was carried out by the pyrolysis method.

Characterization of biochar is done by using FTIR, XRD, SEM EDX, and DSC / TGA. Based on the results

of measurements with FTIR, functional group stretching vibration of O-H and C-C stretching was obtained.

The surface of biochar looks rough with irregular pore diameter size. From the SEM analysis, it was

obtained that the pore diameter ranged from 625.3 nm - 870.9 nm, while the EDX results showed the carbon

content at biochar was 84.93%. The results of the TGA / DSC analysis show that biochar loses weight due

to the release of water during heating and in the carbon decomposition phase. From the results of the

characterization, it can be concluded that biochar derived from the results of the pyrolysis process with the

raw material of palm kernel shell is very good to be used as an activated carbon precursor.

1 INTRODUCTION

Indonesia and Malaysia are the largest palm oil

producing countries in the world, followed by

Thailand Colombia and Nigeria (Bentivoglio, 2018).

In 2016, the area of oil palm plantations in Indonesia

reached 11.6 million ha and is predicted to increase

to 14.6 million ha in 2019 (Agriculture, 2016). Palm

oil processing plant more and more built up and

ultimately have an impact on the resulting waste,

mainly liquid waste and solid waste. In one ton of

fresh fruit bunches (FFB) there are 15% of

mesocarpes (MF), 6% of palm kernel shells (PKS),

and 23% of empty fruit bunches (Liew, 2018) where

PKS and MF are solid waste that is most produced.

During this time the use of PKS in palm oil

processing industry is limited as the boiler fuel, so a

lot of the PKS left and into a pile of biomass

(Okoroigwe, 2013). Biomass can generally be

described as all organic matter or compounds that

are either produced from plants, forest products or

marine life (Awalludin, 2015). Palm kernel shells

are solid waste from palm oil mills which account

for 60% of palm oil production. Palm shells has a

fairly high carbon content of 46% (Okoroigwe,n

2014) and potentially as a precursor for activated

carbon is indispensable in industrial water treatment,

food and cosmetics. Palm kernel shell has

advantages as a precursor because the surface is

porous, mechanical strength and high chemical

stability and no solution in water (Rashidi, 2017).

Therefore, the reuse of PKS as a carbon source

will be economically and environmentally beneficial

(Hidayu, 2016). Palm kernel shells contain

lignocellulose (Ikumapayi, 2018) which can be

converted to biochar, one of them by the pyrolysis

method.

Pyrolysis is a process of thermal decomposition

of organic matter in the absence of oxygen or with

very limited oxygen. This process can be applied to

process solid waste, especially waste with high

organic content that are environmentally friendly

(Lam, 2016). Direct burning of waste can release

large amounts of CO

, while the pyrolysis method

can limit the production of greenhouse gases (CO

)

and decompose waste to produce useful products

152

Dewi, R., Agusnar, H., Alﬁan, Z. and Tamrin, .

Preparation and Characterization of Biochar from Palm Kernel Shells as an Activated Carbon Precursors with the Pyrolysis Method.

DOI: 10.5220/0008863101520155

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Chemical Science and Technology Innovation (ICOCSTI 2019), pages 152-155

ISBN: 978-989-758-415-2

such as solid biochar, liquid bio-oil and biogas.

Biochar is a product of the pyrolysis process with

temperatures below 700

C and the utilization of bio-

char is currently widely used as a soil enrichment

material and activated carbon precursor.

This study aims to examine the quality of biochar

from the pyrolysis process with PKS as raw

material, through characterization using XRD, FTIR,

SEM EDX and TGA / DSC. The utilization of PKS

as biochar can increase the benefits of the biomass,

in addition to its abundant availability and can

reduce environmental pollution.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1 Apparatus and Materials

The equipment used in this study was FTIR

spectrophotometer (Shimadzu FTIR - 4200 type A),

XRD (Shimadzu XRD-6000), SEM EDX (JEOL

JSM-5500), DSC / TGA, glass set (Pyrex), filter 80

mesh Retsch, and biochar.

2.2 Preparation of Biochar

Palm kernel shell was obtained from Oil Palm

plantation, PTP. Nusantara I, Cot Girek, North

Aceh, Indonesia. Palm kernel shell is cleaned of dirt

and oil by washing using deionized water, then dried

in an oven at 100

C for 2 hours. The carbonation

process was carried out at 400

C for 3 hours in the

pyrolysis reactor. Carbonized materials or biochar is

ground into fine particles and sieved to 80 mesh

particle size. Biochar is then further characterized by

using XRD, SEM EDX, TGA/DSC, and FTIR.

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Fourier Transform Infrared

Analysis

Absorption of FTIR spectra from biochar showed in

Figure 1, a sharp peak uptake at 3591-3336 cm

-1

which represented the stretching vibration of O-H in

the hydroxyl group (shamsuddin, 2016).

Characteristic band at 1662-1631 cm

-1

assigned to

C=C stretching indicate the methyl and methylene

group. Bands at 1265 cm

-1

attributed to C-O

stretching vibration.

Figure 1: The FTIR Spectra of Biochar.

The results of absorption of FTIR spectra from

biochar are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Functional Groups and The Classification of

Compounds Identified in Biochar by FTIR.

Wavenumber

(cm

-1

)

Functional

groups

Classification compounds

(Liew et al, 2017)

3336

OH stretching

Alcohol, phenol,

carboxylic acid

1662

C=C

stretching

Alkene, aromatic ring

3.2 Structural Analysis and Surface

Morphology (SEM EDX)

The SEM observations were carried out on a typical

fracture surface of the manufactured biochar.

Biochar surface as shown in Figure 2 looks rough

with irregular pore size and begins to form due to

loss of volatile substances after carbonization at

400

C. The remaining non-volatile components are

then transformed into biochar with pores of various

shapes and sizes observed on the surface (Liew,

2018). Based on SEM analysis obtained pore

diameters ranging from 625.3 nm - 870.9 nm.

Figure 2: Morphology of Biochar.

Preparation and Characterization of Biochar from Palm Kernel Shells as an Activated Carbon Precursors with the Pyrolysis Method

153

The EDX analysis of biochar (Figure 3) shows

that the composition of carbon in biochar reached

84.93% while oxygen, magnesium, aluminum,

silicon and potassium were only 14%, 0.11%,

0.18%, 0.26% and 0.46%.

Figure 3: EDX of Biochar.

3.3 X-ray Diffraction Analysis

The XRD pattern for biochar resulting from the

pyrolysis process is shown in Figure. 4. Based on the

peak position of diffraction intensity (2θ) biochar,

absorption peaks appear at 2θ pada (°) = 22.3, 26.5

and 64.4. This reveals the presence of irregular

amorphous structures stacked by carbon rings.

Figure 4: X-ray Diffractogram of Biochar.

3.4 Tga/Dsc Analysis

Figure 5 shows the thermal decomposition of

biochar, significant weight loss (reaching 97%)

occurs below 100

C which can be attributed to

evaporation of water bound inside the biochar pores.

This condition slowly decreases to 600

C, which at

this temperature can be associated with the carbon

decomposition phase.

Figure 5: TGA Analysis of Biochar.

Figure 6: DSC Analysis of Biochar.

The transformation of the biochar phase in the

temperature range of 20-600°C was studied using

differential thermal analysis. The biochar

derivatogram is shown in Figure 6. The endothermic

effect on the biochar DSC curve at a temperature of

C – 30

C is a sharp peak (endothermic peak) that

occurs due to hygroscopic water removal or water

evaporation. This evaporation process requires heat

ΔH = 151.44 J/g or ΔH = 36.18 cal/g. At a

temperature of 127

C, there is an endothermic curve

which is quite wide due to the release of bonds of

water molecules.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Biochar is a solid residue produced from the

pyrolysis process. Biochar characterization has been

ICOCSTI 2019 - International Conference on Chemical Science and Technology Innovation

154

done using FTIR analysis, SEM EDX, XRD and

TGA / DSC. Based on the results of measurements

with FTIR, functional group stretching vibration of

O-H and C-C stretching was obtained. The surface

of biochar looks rough with irregular pore diameter

size. From the SEM analysis, it was obtained that the

pore diameter ranged from 625.3 nm - 870.9 nm,

while the EDX results showed the carbon content at

biochar was 84.93%. The results of the TGA / DSC

analysis show that biochar loses weight due to the

release of water during heating and in the carbon

decomposition phase. Based on the results of the

above characterization, it can be concluded that

biochar derived from the results of the pyrolysis

process with the raw material of palm kernal shell is

very good to be used as an activated carbon

precursor.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank RistekDIKTI the

financial support to complete this study and all

lecturer in the Department of Chemistry Universitas

Sumatra Utara.

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Preparation and Characterization of Biochar from Palm Kernel Shells as an Activated Carbon Precursors with the Pyrolysis Method

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