Effect of Pyrolysis Temperature and KOH Activator Concentration on the Characteristics of Activated Microbiochar from Bagasse
Nimas Mayang Sabrina Sunyoto (a*), Hendrix Yulis Setyawan (a), Claudia Gadizza Perdani (a), Ika Atsari Dewi (a), Sakunda Aggraini (a), Hariana (b), Aulin Nadziroh (a)

a) Departement of Agroindustrial Technology - Faculty of Agricultural Technology - Brawijaya University. Veteran St. No. 1, Malang 65145, Indonesia
*nimas.sunyoto[at]ub.ac.id
b) Research Center for Energy Conversion and Conservation, National Research and Innovation Agency, South Tangerang 15314, Indonesia

Abstract

Bagasse is a biomass obtained from the sugarcane milling process. Its abundant availability, reaching 30% to 40% of the weight of fresh sugarcane, along with its high lignocellulosic content, makes it a promising raw material for the production of activated microbiochar. In the context of environmental management, activated microbiochar has high potential as an adsorbent for wastewater management. This study aims to evaluate the effects of pyrolysis temperature and potassium hydroxide (KOH) concentration on the physicochemical characteristics of bagasse derived activated microbiochar and to determine the optimal treatment combination. Activated microbiochar was produced through pyrolysis at 400, 500, 600 degrees Celcius for 1 hour, followed by activation using KOH solutions at concentrations of 2M, 4M, and 6M for 24 hours. The results indicated that both factors significantly influenced all parameters of the activated microbiochar, including moisture content, ash content, volatile matter, fixed carbon, iodine adsorption capacity, and methylene blue adsorption capacity. The optimal treatment was achieved in activated microbiochar produced at a pyrolysis temperature of 600 degrees Celcius with 6M KOH activation, resulting 4.75% moisture content, 16.75% ash content, 16.18% volatile matter, 67.07% fixed carbon, 657.24 m2 per gram iodine number, 19.9 m2 per gram methylene blue adsorption, a particle size of 9.19 micrometers, and 12 Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) peaks. These findings indicate that pyrolysis temperature and KOH concentration play a crucial role in optimizing microbiochar performance as an adsorbent for wastewater management, while supporting the concepts of green agroindustry and a suitainable bioeconomy.

Keywords: Activated microbiochar- Bagasse- KOH concentration- Pyrolysis temperature

Topic: Waste and environmental management and engineering