Efficient recycling of disposable face masks via co-carbonization with waste biomass: A pathway to a cleaner environment
Used COVID-19 masks produce a large amount of garbage that frequently overwhelms waste management facilities, hence they are frequently disposed of improperly. It is imperative to develop a processing technique that harnesses disposable face masks to create biofuel in order to address the environmen...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Cleaner Environmental Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789422000253 |
| _version_ | 1798033237286584320 |
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| author | Ebuka Chizitere Emenike Kingsley O. Iwuozor Stephen A. Agbana Kevin Shegun Otoikhian Adewale George Adeniyi |
| author_facet | Ebuka Chizitere Emenike Kingsley O. Iwuozor Stephen A. Agbana Kevin Shegun Otoikhian Adewale George Adeniyi |
| author_sort | Ebuka Chizitere Emenike |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Used COVID-19 masks produce a large amount of garbage that frequently overwhelms waste management facilities, hence they are frequently disposed of improperly. It is imperative to develop a processing technique that harnesses disposable face masks to create biofuel in order to address the environmental problems caused by their disposal. In this study, biochar production through co-carbonization of disposable face mask and waste biomass (Daniella oliveri leaves) using a fixed-bed updraft reactor was investigated as a means of recycling the wastes for a sustainable environment. A hybrid biochar with a 40.20 wt% yield was produced at a peak temperature of 350 °C, while a biochar with a 32.87 wt% yield was produced using only the biomass at a high temperature of 279 °C. According to the sample analysis, the hybrid biochar, which has a specific surface area of 397.8 m2/g, is very porous and has numerous cracks and fissures. The Fourier transform infrared analysis showed the presence of numerous functional groups, mainly hydroxyl and carbonyl groups, in the co-carbonized biochar, which was caused by the disposable face mask, indicating the possibility of using the biochar as an adsorbent and to increase soil fertility. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:27:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5d28ce8a237b4337a09746548011b15c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-7894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:27:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cleaner Environmental Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-5d28ce8a237b4337a09746548011b15c2022-12-22T04:04:38ZengElsevierCleaner Environmental Systems2666-78942022-09-016100094Efficient recycling of disposable face masks via co-carbonization with waste biomass: A pathway to a cleaner environmentEbuka Chizitere Emenike0Kingsley O. Iwuozor1Stephen A. Agbana2Kevin Shegun Otoikhian3Adewale George Adeniyi4Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P. M. B. 5025, Awka, Nigeria; Corresponding author.Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P. M. B. 5025, Awka, NigeriaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, P. M. B. 1515, Ilorin, NigeriaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Edo State University, Uzairue, NigeriaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, P. M. B. 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria; Corresponding author.Used COVID-19 masks produce a large amount of garbage that frequently overwhelms waste management facilities, hence they are frequently disposed of improperly. It is imperative to develop a processing technique that harnesses disposable face masks to create biofuel in order to address the environmental problems caused by their disposal. In this study, biochar production through co-carbonization of disposable face mask and waste biomass (Daniella oliveri leaves) using a fixed-bed updraft reactor was investigated as a means of recycling the wastes for a sustainable environment. A hybrid biochar with a 40.20 wt% yield was produced at a peak temperature of 350 °C, while a biochar with a 32.87 wt% yield was produced using only the biomass at a high temperature of 279 °C. According to the sample analysis, the hybrid biochar, which has a specific surface area of 397.8 m2/g, is very porous and has numerous cracks and fissures. The Fourier transform infrared analysis showed the presence of numerous functional groups, mainly hydroxyl and carbonyl groups, in the co-carbonized biochar, which was caused by the disposable face mask, indicating the possibility of using the biochar as an adsorbent and to increase soil fertility.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789422000253BiomassBiocharWaste managementSurgical maskCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Ebuka Chizitere Emenike Kingsley O. Iwuozor Stephen A. Agbana Kevin Shegun Otoikhian Adewale George Adeniyi Efficient recycling of disposable face masks via co-carbonization with waste biomass: A pathway to a cleaner environment Cleaner Environmental Systems Biomass Biochar Waste management Surgical mask COVID-19 |
| title | Efficient recycling of disposable face masks via co-carbonization with waste biomass: A pathway to a cleaner environment |
| title_full | Efficient recycling of disposable face masks via co-carbonization with waste biomass: A pathway to a cleaner environment |
| title_fullStr | Efficient recycling of disposable face masks via co-carbonization with waste biomass: A pathway to a cleaner environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Efficient recycling of disposable face masks via co-carbonization with waste biomass: A pathway to a cleaner environment |
| title_short | Efficient recycling of disposable face masks via co-carbonization with waste biomass: A pathway to a cleaner environment |
| title_sort | efficient recycling of disposable face masks via co carbonization with waste biomass a pathway to a cleaner environment |
| topic | Biomass Biochar Waste management Surgical mask COVID-19 |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789422000253 |
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