EXPLORING BIO-BASED COMMODITY GENERATION THROUGH PYROLYSIS OF SHEA BUTTER SHELLS
The study scrutinized the impact of unvarying feedstock mass (100g per trial) coupled with temperature (ranging from 300 to 600 °C), residence time (varying from 10 to 60 minutes), and heating rate (fluctuating between 10 and 30 °C/min). Analysis of the operational variables unveiled that the bio-oil yield is profoundly influenced by key parameters of the process. Empirically, temperature and heating rate emerged as pivotal factors to achieve optimal bio-oil yield. The peak yield attained was 51.50 %wt., in contrast to the model’s prognostication of 71.00 %wt.
Physicochemical evaluation demonstrated that the bio-oil exhibited a pH of 3.14 and possessed a heating value of 26.03 MJ/kg. Gas Chromatography outcomes underscored the prevalence of phenolic and carboxyl compounds in the bio-oil, accompanied by the presence of alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Characterization of the bio-based products using Fourier-Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed a dominant presence of organic functional groups such as alkanes, alcohols, acids, aldehydes, ketones, several phenolic compounds, and water impurities within the bio-oil.
Furthermore, characterization of the resultant bio-char was executed to determine its external and BET surface areas, yielding values of 196.022 m²/g and 170.025 m²/g, respectively. Additionally, the pore volume and pore size of the bio-char were determined to be 0.0055 cm³/g and 1.410 nm, respectively. The bio-char derived from shea butter shell pyrolysis exhibits potential for repurposing as an effective adsorbent in wastewater treatment applications, owing to its inherent bio-adsorbent qualities.
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