Linking pyrolysis kinetics, biochar structure, and environmental sustainability of pomegranate seeds through thermogravimetric analysis and life cycle assessment
Biomass and Bioenergy, cilt.216, 2027 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 216
- Basım Tarihi: 2027
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2026.109684
- Dergi Adı: Biomass and Bioenergy
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Compendex, Environment Index, Geobase, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Biochar, LCA, Model-free approaches, Pomegranate seeds, Pyrolysis kinetics, Thermogravimetric method
- Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The valorization of agricultural residues into value-added products represents a crucial step toward sustainable waste management and renewable energy production. In this context, pomegranate seeds (PS) emerge as an abundant and high-potential agro-industrial byproduct due to their carbon-rich structure and significant energy density. This study provides a comprehensive investigation into the pyrolysis behavior, kinetic parameters, and biochar characteristics of PS to assess their suitability for thermochemical conversion. Biochar synthesis was performed at the temperatures of 400, 500, and 600 °C, where yields were observed to decrease from 40.15% to 24.19% with increasing temperature. Thermal degradation profiles identified the 200–400 °C range as the primary devolatilization zone, characterized by the overlapping decomposition of hemicellulose and cellulose. FTIR, SEM and proximate analyses confirmed that increasing temperature led to enhanced fixed carbon content and the development of more complex porous architectures while reducing oxygenated functional groups. Kinetic modeling was executed using the Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, Starink, and Friedman methods. The calculated average activation energies ranged between 161.63 and 163.82 kJ/mol with high statistical reliability. Notably, the activation energy values exhibited fluctuations as a function of the conversion degree, reflecting the complex, multi-stage reaction pathways inherent in the biomass matrix. The environmental impacts of biochar production from PS were assessed using a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The findings demonstrate that PS is a promising feedstock for biochar production and provide valuable information for future studies on biomass pyrolysis, biochar development, and environmental assessment.