Characterization of Nano Biochar from Pyrolysis of Cocoa Shell Waste. Hendrix Yulis Setyawan, Beauty Suestining Diyah, Theodosius Pahotan Damanik, Shafira Arini Sundari
Department of Agroindustrial Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl Veteran, Malang 65145
*hendrix[at]ub.ac.id
Abstract
Theobroma cacao L., or cocoa pods, were one of Indonesia^s most important agricultural products in 2021, with a total production of 706,500 thousand tons. Cocoa pods have a wide range of high-value applications. This study^s goal was to characterize the nano-biochar that was made from discarded cocoa shells. The research was carried out using a randomized block design (RBD) and three repetitions. The two components employed in the study were the pyrolysis temperatures (450C, 550C, and 650C) and ball mill time (24, 48, and 72 hours). Water content, ash content, volatile matter content, bound carbon content, and calorific content were all investigated in the results. The investigation revealed that higher pyrolysis temperatures and longer ball milling periods result in lower water and volatile matter content, greater ash, bonded carbon, and calorific content. Therefore, the best factors based on the analysis result is 650C pyrolysis temperature and 72 hours of ball mill time. On the other hand, this research has produced nanoparticles in small quantities. Therefore, it is recommended to use the sonication method and increase the speed of ultrasonic waves. The addition of time for the drying process could also have a better impact on the mortar process.
