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Production and characterization of sunflower stalk biochar and ash: a study on batch versus semi-batch gasifier systems

  • Adewale George Adeniyi ORCID logo EMAIL logo , Taiwo Temitayo Micheal , Ebuka Chizitere Emenike , Omar H. Abd-Elkader , Kingsley O. Iwuozor , Hamad A. Al-Lohedan , Hambali Umar Hambali , Abdelrahman O. Ezzat , Toheeb Adeeyo , Mubarak A. Amoloye and Ifeoluwa Peter Oyekunle
Published/Copyright: June 12, 2025
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International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering
From the journal International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering Volume 23 Issue 5

Abstract

This study is the first to compare batch and semi-batch gasifier systems for turning sunflower stalks into useful products, filling an important gap in our understanding of gasification technologies that use biomass fuel. This study investigated the production and characterization of biochar and ash derived from sunflower stalks using batch and semi-batch gasifiers. The conversion process, lasting 90 min, employed the top-lit updraft mechanism to generate sunflower stalk ash and biochar under both systems. The yields of batch-based samples were 34.60 % for biochar (BSB) and 19.40 % for ash (BSA), while semi-batch samples yielded 20.80 % (SSA) and 18.55 % (SSB). Elemental analysis revealed significant carbon enrichment from 44.2 % in raw feedstock to 85.4 % in semi-batch biochar, representing a 93 % increase in carbon concentration. The biochar produced in the batch gasifier exhibited a surface area of 364.127 m2/g, compared to 392.508 m2/g for the semi-batch gasifier biochar, as determined by BET analysis. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed a more porous structure in the semi-batch biochar. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis identified both similarities and differences in the functional groups between the biochar and ash samples from both systems. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA) showed a higher mass loss in the semi-batch ash (SSA) compared to the batch sample (BSA), indicating greater thermal stability in the batch biochar. These findings showed the potential of sunflower stalk biochar and ash for diverse applications such as soil improvement, pollutant removal, and energy conversion, while also providing insights into optimizing carbonization processes for enhanced material properties.

Keywords: agricultural waste; biomass conversion; environmental sustainability; mesoporous; waste valorization
Corresponding author: Adewale George Adeniyi, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, P. M. B. 1515, Nigeria, E-mail:

Funding source: King Saud University

Award Identifier / Grant number: ORF-2025-768

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support through the Ongoing Research Funding program, (ORF-2025-768), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: Adewale George Adeniyi, conceptualisation, data curation, methodology, investigation, writing – original draft; writing – review & editing; validation. Taiwo Temitayo Micheal, conceptualisation, data curation, methodology, investigation, writing – original draft; writing – review & editing; validation. Ebuka Chizitere Emenike, conceptualisation, data curation, writing – review & editing; validation. Omar H. Abd-Elkader: conceptualisation, methodology, writing – review & editing; supervision; validation; Project administration. Kingsley O. Iwuozor: Conceptualisation, Methodology, Writing Hamad A. Al-Lohedan: Writing – review & editing; Supervision; Validation; Project administration Hambali Umar Hambali, Conceptualisation, Data curation, Writing – review & editing; Validation. Abdelrahman O. Ezzat, Investigation, Writing – original draft; Writing – review & editing; Validation. Toheeb Adeeyo, data curation, writing – review & editing; Validation. Mubarak A. Amoloye: methodology, writing – review & editing; supervision; validation; project administration. Ifeoluwa Peter Oyekunle: supervision; validation; project administration.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

  6. Research funding: The authors acknowledge the financial support through the Ongoing Research Funding program, (ORF-2025-768), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

  7. Data availability: This is not applicable as no new data were created or analysed in this study.

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Received: 2024-12-25
Accepted: 2025-06-01
Published Online: 2025-06-12

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/ijcre-2024-0248
Keywords for this article
agricultural waste; biomass conversion; environmental sustainability; mesoporous; waste valorization

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Reviews
  3. Advances in extraction and sustainable utilization of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) for industrial applications
  4. A critical review on pyrolysis of maize biomass for bio-oil and biochar production with its potential outcomes
  5. Nanomaterials in solar still: recent advances and future perspectives
  6. Articles
  7. Production and characterization of sunflower stalk biochar and ash: a study on batch versus semi-batch gasifier systems
  8. Chemical activation of castor stalk-derived porous carbon for highly efficient CO2 adsorption in sustainable carbon capture applications
  9. Effect of hole diameter and number in vortex finders on flow field and performance of Stairmand gas cyclone
  10. Carbonation reaction in phosphogypsum waste conversion to calcium acetate: experiment and kinetic model study
  11. Numerical investigation of bubble growth and formation under quasi-static conditions
  12. Short Communications
  13. Equilibrium of methylene blue removal onto crayfish shell biochar
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