Ahmad Waqas, Makkawi Yassir, Samara Fatin
Materials Science and Engineering Program, College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, 26666 Sharjah, UAE.
Bioenergy and Solar Conversion Research Group (BSCRG), College of Engineering, American University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 26666 Sharjah, UAE.
ACS Omega. 2024 May 22;9(22):24082-24094. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02972. eCollection 2024 Jun 4.
Bioenergy is predicted to significantly contribute to the global energy needs of both developed and developing economies. Co-pyrolysis of halophytes offers a solution for a sustainable supply of feedstock in coastal and water-scarce regions. This novel research introduces an experimental investigation of co-pyrolysis of saline-tolerant flora (date palm waste and ) to address sustainable waste management, bioenergy production, and efficient resource utilization in xeric regions. To examine the impact of the thermic condition on the pyrolysis products (bio-oil, biochar, and gas), the experiments have been conducted at three different temperatures (400, 500, and 600 °C). This pioneering study revealed that the co-feed bio-oil is acidic (pH 3.76-4.39) and has a high energy content (HHV 32.29-36.29 MJ/kg) that surpasses most woody biomass. The produced biochar was chemically stable, high in ash (40.09-47.62 wt %), high in fixed carbon (30.12-38.12 wt %), highly alkaline (pH 9.37-10.69), and low in HHV (16.30-17.2 MJ/kg). Increased pyrolysis temperature enhances biochar stability and fixed carbon, thus benefiting long-term carbon sequestration if applied in the soil. However, due to its high alkalinity, the application of this biochar in naturally alkaline sandy soils, such as in coastal deserts, requires careful monitoring. The hydrogen content in the gaseous phase significantly improves with rising temperature, reaching HHV = 24.12 MJ/kg at 600 °C, due to the enhanced ash catalytic effect. Overall, this study constitutes an important contribution to advancing bioenergy, sustainable feedstock, carbon capture, and waste management strategies in drought-prone areas.
生物能源预计将对发达经济体和发展中经济体的全球能源需求做出重大贡献。盐生植物的共热解为沿海和缺水地区可持续供应原料提供了一种解决方案。这项新研究介绍了耐盐植物（枣椰树废料和……）共热解的实验研究，以解决干旱地区的可持续废物管理、生物能源生产和资源高效利用问题。为了研究热条件对热解产物（生物油、生物炭和气体）的影响，实验在三个不同温度（400、500和600℃）下进行。这项开创性研究表明，共进料生物油呈酸性（pH值3.76 - 4.39），能量含量高（高热值32.29 - 36.29 MJ/kg），超过大多数木质生物质。所产生的生物炭化学性质稳定，灰分含量高（40.09 - 47.62 wt%），固定碳含量高（30.12 - 38.12 wt%），碱性强（pH值9.37 - 10.69），高热值低（16.30 - 17.2 MJ/kg）。热解温度升高可提高生物炭的稳定性和固定碳含量，因此如果应用于土壤中有利于长期碳封存。然而，由于其高碱性，在天然碱性沙质土壤（如沿海沙漠）中应用这种生物炭需要仔细监测。由于灰分催化作用增强，气相中的氢含量随温度升高显著提高，在600℃时达到高热值 = 24.12 MJ/kg。总体而言，这项研究对推进干旱地区的生物能源、可持续原料、碳捕获和废物管理策略做出了重要贡献。
