Effects of Hardwood Biomass Variability on Biochar Properties: Insights from Wood Waste Utilization

Wood is an abundant and renewable resource with considerable potential for upcycling into high-value products such as biochar, thereby facilitating the conversion of waste into useful materials. The structural and compositional diversity among wood species significantly influences the properties of...

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Main Authors: Saowanee Wijitkosum, Thavivongse Sriburi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ital Publication 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Human, Earth, and Future
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Online Access:https://hefjournal.org/index.php/HEF/article/view/433
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author Saowanee Wijitkosum
Thavivongse Sriburi
author_facet Saowanee Wijitkosum
Thavivongse Sriburi
author_sort Saowanee Wijitkosum
collection DOAJ
description Wood is an abundant and renewable resource with considerable potential for upcycling into high-value products such as biochar, thereby facilitating the conversion of waste into useful materials. The structural and compositional diversity among wood species significantly influences the properties of the resulting biochar. This study aimed to investigate the properties of biochar derived from five distinct hardwood species, all sourced from the same tropical region and produced under standardized pyrolysis conditions using a patented furnace. The hardwood species examined were Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lamk.) de Wit.), paper flower climber (Getonia floribunda (Roxb.) Lam.), rain tree (Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr.), climbing wattle (Albizia myriophylla Benth.), and Siamese blachia (Blachia siamensisGagnep.). The investigation focused on fundamental properties of the biochar, including morphology, elemental composition (C, H, N, O), water-holding capacity, aromaticity (H/C ratio), polarity (O/C and (O+N)/C ratios), and the C/N ratio. Results indicated that all five biochar types were of high quality, with carbon contents ranging from 66.64% to 84.76%, a high degree of aromaticity (H/C < 0.7), low polarity, and enhanced stability. The biochars exhibited a range of pore structures from macropores to mesopores, with pore volumes of 0.010–0.074 cm³/g and specific surface areas ranging from 2.92 m²/g to 144.59 m²/g. These structural attributes influence their water-holding capacities; however, the relationships among polarity, pore volume, pore size, and water-holding capacity remain unresolved. The findings highlighted substantial variability in the properties and morphology of the biochars, despite their production under identical conditions. This variability underscores the need for further in-depth studies to elucidate the factors governing biochar properties and to enable the tailoring of biochar for specific applications.   Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2025-06-01-02 Full Text: PDF
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spelling doaj-art-0064a0013f3449d39b8bbbd442c886b82025-08-20T01:49:05ZengItal PublicationJournal of Human, Earth, and Future2785-29972025-03-0161122610.28991/HEF-2025-06-01-02177Effects of Hardwood Biomass Variability on Biochar Properties: Insights from Wood Waste UtilizationSaowanee Wijitkosum0Thavivongse Sriburi1Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330,Pa-deng Biochar Research Center, Phetchaburi, 76170,Wood is an abundant and renewable resource with considerable potential for upcycling into high-value products such as biochar, thereby facilitating the conversion of waste into useful materials. The structural and compositional diversity among wood species significantly influences the properties of the resulting biochar. This study aimed to investigate the properties of biochar derived from five distinct hardwood species, all sourced from the same tropical region and produced under standardized pyrolysis conditions using a patented furnace. The hardwood species examined were Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lamk.) de Wit.), paper flower climber (Getonia floribunda (Roxb.) Lam.), rain tree (Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr.), climbing wattle (Albizia myriophylla Benth.), and Siamese blachia (Blachia siamensisGagnep.). The investigation focused on fundamental properties of the biochar, including morphology, elemental composition (C, H, N, O), water-holding capacity, aromaticity (H/C ratio), polarity (O/C and (O+N)/C ratios), and the C/N ratio. Results indicated that all five biochar types were of high quality, with carbon contents ranging from 66.64% to 84.76%, a high degree of aromaticity (H/C < 0.7), low polarity, and enhanced stability. The biochars exhibited a range of pore structures from macropores to mesopores, with pore volumes of 0.010–0.074 cm³/g and specific surface areas ranging from 2.92 m²/g to 144.59 m²/g. These structural attributes influence their water-holding capacities; however, the relationships among polarity, pore volume, pore size, and water-holding capacity remain unresolved. The findings highlighted substantial variability in the properties and morphology of the biochars, despite their production under identical conditions. This variability underscores the need for further in-depth studies to elucidate the factors governing biochar properties and to enable the tailoring of biochar for specific applications.   Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2025-06-01-02 Full Text: PDFhttps://hefjournal.org/index.php/HEF/article/view/433hardwoodbiocharupcyclinglignocellulosic biomasstropical woodwater-holding capacity.
spellingShingle Saowanee Wijitkosum
Thavivongse Sriburi
Effects of Hardwood Biomass Variability on Biochar Properties: Insights from Wood Waste Utilization
Journal of Human, Earth, and Future
hardwood
biochar
upcycling
lignocellulosic biomass
tropical wood
water-holding capacity.
title Effects of Hardwood Biomass Variability on Biochar Properties: Insights from Wood Waste Utilization
title_full Effects of Hardwood Biomass Variability on Biochar Properties: Insights from Wood Waste Utilization
title_fullStr Effects of Hardwood Biomass Variability on Biochar Properties: Insights from Wood Waste Utilization
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Hardwood Biomass Variability on Biochar Properties: Insights from Wood Waste Utilization
title_short Effects of Hardwood Biomass Variability on Biochar Properties: Insights from Wood Waste Utilization
title_sort effects of hardwood biomass variability on biochar properties insights from wood waste utilization
topic hardwood
biochar
upcycling
lignocellulosic biomass
tropical wood
water-holding capacity.
url https://hefjournal.org/index.php/HEF/article/view/433
work_keys_str_mv AT saowaneewijitkosum effectsofhardwoodbiomassvariabilityonbiocharpropertiesinsightsfromwoodwasteutilization
AT thavivongsesriburi effectsofhardwoodbiomassvariabilityonbiocharpropertiesinsightsfromwoodwasteutilization