Transforming Biomass Waste into Hydrochars and Porous Activated Carbon: A Characterization Study

Suhas (), Monika Chaudhary, Shubham Chaudhary, Shivangi Chaubey, Isabel Pestana da Paixão Cansado (), Mohammad Hadi Dehghani, Inderjeet Tyagi and Rama Gaur
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Suhas: Department of Chemistry, Gurukula Kangri (Deemed to be University), Haridwar 249404, India
Monika Chaudhary: Department of Chemistry, Hariom Saraswati P.G. College, Dhanauri, Haridwar 247667, India
Shubham Chaudhary: Department of Chemistry, Gurukula Kangri (Deemed to be University), Haridwar 249404, India
Shivangi Chaubey: Department of Chemistry, Gurukula Kangri (Deemed to be University), Haridwar 249404, India
Isabel Pestana da Paixão Cansado: MED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & Change—Global Change and Sustainability Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Science and Technology, University of Évora, Rua Romão Ramalho, nº 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
Mohammad Hadi Dehghani: Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416634793, Iran
Inderjeet Tyagi: Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata 700053, India
Rama Gaur: Department of Chemistry, School of Energy Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Knowledge Corridor, Raisan, Gandhinagar 382426, India

Resources, 2025, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an environmentally friendly process for transforming biomass into sustainable hydrochar, which is a carbon-rich material with a variety of potential applications. Herein, Tectona grandis seeds (TGs) were transformed into hydrochars using HTC at low temperatures (180–250 °C) and autogenous pressure. The prepared hydrochars were rich in oxygenated functional groups. The optimized hydrochar, HC-230-4 (prepared at 230 °C, for 4 h), presented a ratio of H/C = 0.95 and O/C = 0.29, an improved degree of coalification, and a high heating value (26.53 MJ kg −1 ), which can replace bituminous coals in the power sector. The prepared hydrochar was further activated in the presence of CO 2 to prepare activated carbon (AC). XRD, TGA, FTIR, FE-SEM, and BET techniques were used to characterize raw biomass (TGs), hydrochar, and ACs, to identify the potential applications for the developed materials. BET studies revealed that the hydrochar has limited porosity, with a low surface area (14.41 m 2 g −1 ) and porous volume. On the other hand, the derived AC (AC-850-5) has a high surface area (729.70 m 2 g −1 ) and appreciable total and microporous volumes (0.392 cm 3 g −1 and 0.286 cm 3 g −1 ). The use of biomass, mainly waste biomass, for the production of carbon-rich materials is an effective strategy for managing and valorizing waste biomass resources, reducing environmental pollution, and improving sustainability, being in line with the principles of circularity.

Keywords: biomass; hydrochar; activated carbon; solid fuel; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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