Simulation of a pyrolysis plant for tropical agricultural residues: biochar yield analysis and influence of feedstock properties

• Aspen Plus model predicts biochar yield from proximate and elemental analyses. • Twelve tropical agricultural residues were evaluated across 300–800 °C. • Higher accuracy was observed for fast pyrolysis than for slow pyrolysis regimes. • Carbon and oxygen are identified as the primary elemental drivers of biochar yield. • The framework enables robust feedstock screening for biochar-oriented processes.