Urea enhances the yield and quality of bio-oil produced from corncob through pyrolysis
Abstract As global demand for fossil fuels rises amidst depleting reserves and environmental concerns, exploring sustainable and renewable energy sources has become imperative. This study investigated the pyrolysis of corncob, a widely available agricultural waste, using urea as a catalyst to enhanc...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86800-7 |
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| author | Sakina Ibrahim Bello Taofik Olatunde Uthman Serdar Surgun Abdullahi Muhammad Sokoto |
| author_facet | Sakina Ibrahim Bello Taofik Olatunde Uthman Serdar Surgun Abdullahi Muhammad Sokoto |
| author_sort | Sakina Ibrahim Bello |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract As global demand for fossil fuels rises amidst depleting reserves and environmental concerns, exploring sustainable and renewable energy sources has become imperative. This study investigated the pyrolysis of corncob, a widely available agricultural waste, using urea as a catalyst to enhance bio-oil production. The aim was to determine the optimum urea concentration and pyrolysis temperature for bio-oil yield from corncob. A series of experiments were conducted at varying temperatures (350 °C, 400 °C, and 450 °C) and urea concentrations (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) to assess their impact on bio-oil yield, chemical composition, and energy content. Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS), Ultimate Analysis, and High Heating Value (HHV) analyses were employed to evaluate the quality of bio-oil produced. Results indicate that a 10% urea concentration at 400 °C improves bio-oil yield from 49.33 to 54.66%. FT-IR analysis revealed enhanced absorption in key functional group regions, including O–H, N–H, C–H, C=O, and C–O, for bio-oil treated with 10% urea compared to untreated bio-oil. Ultimate analysis indicates that urea treatment improved bio-oil quality by increasing carbon (84.80–86.40%), nitrogen (2.29–2.68%), and oxygen (7.22–8.31%) contents while reducing hydrogen (5.09–2.38%) and sulfur (0.62–0.20%) contents, with improvement in the HHV from 36.12 to 37.12 MJ/kg. GC–MS analysis further revealed the presence of nitrogenous compounds, notably siloxanes in the bio-oil produced with urea infusion. This research highlights the potential of urea-catalyzed pyrolysis as a viable method for converting corncob into high-energy bio-oil, offering a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuels while addressing sustainability and environmental impact challenges. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-268ff2a5e2794c10945e8fff037eeeac |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-268ff2a5e2794c10945e8fff037eeeac2025-01-26T12:27:11ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-86800-7Urea enhances the yield and quality of bio-oil produced from corncob through pyrolysisSakina Ibrahim Bello0Taofik Olatunde Uthman1Serdar Surgun2Abdullahi Muhammad Sokoto3Department of Chemistry, Nile University of NigeriaDepartment of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Nile University of NigeriaDepartment of Chemistry, Nile University of NigeriaDepartment of Chemistry, Usmanu Danfodiyo UniversityAbstract As global demand for fossil fuels rises amidst depleting reserves and environmental concerns, exploring sustainable and renewable energy sources has become imperative. This study investigated the pyrolysis of corncob, a widely available agricultural waste, using urea as a catalyst to enhance bio-oil production. The aim was to determine the optimum urea concentration and pyrolysis temperature for bio-oil yield from corncob. A series of experiments were conducted at varying temperatures (350 °C, 400 °C, and 450 °C) and urea concentrations (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) to assess their impact on bio-oil yield, chemical composition, and energy content. Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS), Ultimate Analysis, and High Heating Value (HHV) analyses were employed to evaluate the quality of bio-oil produced. Results indicate that a 10% urea concentration at 400 °C improves bio-oil yield from 49.33 to 54.66%. FT-IR analysis revealed enhanced absorption in key functional group regions, including O–H, N–H, C–H, C=O, and C–O, for bio-oil treated with 10% urea compared to untreated bio-oil. Ultimate analysis indicates that urea treatment improved bio-oil quality by increasing carbon (84.80–86.40%), nitrogen (2.29–2.68%), and oxygen (7.22–8.31%) contents while reducing hydrogen (5.09–2.38%) and sulfur (0.62–0.20%) contents, with improvement in the HHV from 36.12 to 37.12 MJ/kg. GC–MS analysis further revealed the presence of nitrogenous compounds, notably siloxanes in the bio-oil produced with urea infusion. This research highlights the potential of urea-catalyzed pyrolysis as a viable method for converting corncob into high-energy bio-oil, offering a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuels while addressing sustainability and environmental impact challenges.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86800-7CorncobBio-oilUreaPyrolysisTemperature |
| spellingShingle | Sakina Ibrahim Bello Taofik Olatunde Uthman Serdar Surgun Abdullahi Muhammad Sokoto Urea enhances the yield and quality of bio-oil produced from corncob through pyrolysis Scientific Reports Corncob Bio-oil Urea Pyrolysis Temperature |
| title | Urea enhances the yield and quality of bio-oil produced from corncob through pyrolysis |
| title_full | Urea enhances the yield and quality of bio-oil produced from corncob through pyrolysis |
| title_fullStr | Urea enhances the yield and quality of bio-oil produced from corncob through pyrolysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Urea enhances the yield and quality of bio-oil produced from corncob through pyrolysis |
| title_short | Urea enhances the yield and quality of bio-oil produced from corncob through pyrolysis |
| title_sort | urea enhances the yield and quality of bio oil produced from corncob through pyrolysis |
| topic | Corncob Bio-oil Urea Pyrolysis Temperature |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86800-7 |
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