EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER HYACINTH BIOCHAR (Eichhornia crassipes)

Abstract

Biochar is being widely used in soil reclamation, carbon storage, and water treatment. This study employed slow pyrolysis at 350 ^oC, 450 ^oC, and 550^oC in 2 hours to assess the production rates and some physio-chemical properties of water hyacinth biochar. As the results, the production rates were lower at higher pyrolysis temperatures; more specifically, 47.7% of biochar could be harvested at 350^oC compared with 35.2% at 550^oC. The highest fixed carbon content of 56% was achieved at 450^oC. pH values (7.3-10.3) at the investigated temperatures were all higher than pH pzc values (6.9-9.3), reflecting the alkaline nature and negatively charged surface of the biochar products. Information on the production rates and physio-chemical properties of water hyacinth biochar is useful for selecting appropriate pyrolysis conditions for specific applications or for future research with biochar