The Impact of Nutshell Biochar on the Environment as an Alternative Fuel or as a Soil Amendment
Walnut, pistachio, and peanut nutshells were treated by pyrolysis to biochar and analyzed for their possible usage as fuels or soil fertilizers. All the samples were pyrolyzed to five different temperatures, i.e., 250 °C, 300 °C, 350 °C, 450 °C, and 550 °C. Proximate and elemental analyses were carr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-03-01
|
| Series: | Materials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/2074 |
| _version_ | 1797614879384797184 |
|---|---|
| author | Lukáš Jeníček Barbora Tunklová Jan Malaťák Jan Velebil Jitka Malaťáková Michal Neškudla František Hnilička |
| author_facet | Lukáš Jeníček Barbora Tunklová Jan Malaťák Jan Velebil Jitka Malaťáková Michal Neškudla František Hnilička |
| author_sort | Lukáš Jeníček |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Walnut, pistachio, and peanut nutshells were treated by pyrolysis to biochar and analyzed for their possible usage as fuels or soil fertilizers. All the samples were pyrolyzed to five different temperatures, i.e., 250 °C, 300 °C, 350 °C, 450 °C, and 550 °C. Proximate and elemental analyses were carried out for all the samples, as well as calorific value and stoichiometric analysis. For sample usage as a soil amendment, phytotoxicity testing was performed and the content of phenolics, flavonoids, tannin, juglone, and antioxidant activity were determined. To characterize the chemical composition of walnut, pistachio, and peanut shells, lignin, cellulose, holocellulose, hemicellulose, and extractives were determined. As a result, it was found that walnut shells and pistachio shells are best pyrolyzed at the temperature of 300 °C and peanut shells at the temperature of 550 °C for their use as alternative fuels. The highest measured net calorific value was in pistachio shells, which were biochar pyrolyzed at 550 °C, of 31.35 MJ kg<sup>−1</sup>. On the other hand, walnut biochar pyrolyzed at 550 °C had the highest ash share of 10.12% wt. For their use as soil fertilizers, peanut shells were the most suitable when pyrolyzed at 300 °C, walnut shells at 300 and 350 °C, and pistachio shells at 350 °C. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:18:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5da7de5f75954a50851ef059b27ec43e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:18:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-5da7de5f75954a50851ef059b27ec43e2023-11-17T08:06:54ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442023-03-01165207410.3390/ma16052074The Impact of Nutshell Biochar on the Environment as an Alternative Fuel or as a Soil AmendmentLukáš Jeníček0Barbora Tunklová1Jan Malaťák2Jan Velebil3Jitka Malaťáková4Michal Neškudla5František Hnilička6Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech RepublicFaculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech RepublicFaculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech RepublicFaculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech RepublicFaculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech RepublicFaculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech RepublicFaculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech RepublicWalnut, pistachio, and peanut nutshells were treated by pyrolysis to biochar and analyzed for their possible usage as fuels or soil fertilizers. All the samples were pyrolyzed to five different temperatures, i.e., 250 °C, 300 °C, 350 °C, 450 °C, and 550 °C. Proximate and elemental analyses were carried out for all the samples, as well as calorific value and stoichiometric analysis. For sample usage as a soil amendment, phytotoxicity testing was performed and the content of phenolics, flavonoids, tannin, juglone, and antioxidant activity were determined. To characterize the chemical composition of walnut, pistachio, and peanut shells, lignin, cellulose, holocellulose, hemicellulose, and extractives were determined. As a result, it was found that walnut shells and pistachio shells are best pyrolyzed at the temperature of 300 °C and peanut shells at the temperature of 550 °C for their use as alternative fuels. The highest measured net calorific value was in pistachio shells, which were biochar pyrolyzed at 550 °C, of 31.35 MJ kg<sup>−1</sup>. On the other hand, walnut biochar pyrolyzed at 550 °C had the highest ash share of 10.12% wt. For their use as soil fertilizers, peanut shells were the most suitable when pyrolyzed at 300 °C, walnut shells at 300 and 350 °C, and pistachio shells at 350 °C.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/2074biomassbiofuelbiocharcalorific valuenut shellsphytotoxicity |
| spellingShingle | Lukáš Jeníček Barbora Tunklová Jan Malaťák Jan Velebil Jitka Malaťáková Michal Neškudla František Hnilička The Impact of Nutshell Biochar on the Environment as an Alternative Fuel or as a Soil Amendment Materials biomass biofuel biochar calorific value nut shells phytotoxicity |
| title | The Impact of Nutshell Biochar on the Environment as an Alternative Fuel or as a Soil Amendment |
| title_full | The Impact of Nutshell Biochar on the Environment as an Alternative Fuel or as a Soil Amendment |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of Nutshell Biochar on the Environment as an Alternative Fuel or as a Soil Amendment |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of Nutshell Biochar on the Environment as an Alternative Fuel or as a Soil Amendment |
| title_short | The Impact of Nutshell Biochar on the Environment as an Alternative Fuel or as a Soil Amendment |
| title_sort | impact of nutshell biochar on the environment as an alternative fuel or as a soil amendment |
| topic | biomass biofuel biochar calorific value nut shells phytotoxicity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/2074 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lukasjenicek theimpactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT barboratunklova theimpactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT janmalatak theimpactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT janvelebil theimpactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT jitkamalatakova theimpactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT michalneskudla theimpactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT frantisekhnilicka theimpactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT lukasjenicek impactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT barboratunklova impactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT janmalatak impactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT janvelebil impactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT jitkamalatakova impactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT michalneskudla impactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment AT frantisekhnilicka impactofnutshellbiocharontheenvironmentasanalternativefuelorasasoilamendment |