Waste to a Value-Added Material: Production of Biochar from Young Coconut Waste

Young coconut waste (YCW) holds considerable potential as a lignocellulosic biomass feedstock for sustainable biochar production.Indonesia has substantial potential for utilizing young coconut biomass waste, yet its use to date remains largely confined to small-scale and specific applications.This study aims to investigate the thermal decomposition behavior, functional group transformations, surface characteristics, and adsorption potential of biochar derived from YCW through pyrolysis at 300, 350, and 400℃, temperatures selected to capture the transition between initial devolatilization and the onset of aromatic structure formation.TG-DTG analysis was conducted to assess thermal stability within the temperature range of 25-700℃ at heating rates of 10, 15, and 20℃/min, while FTIR spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms were employed to characterize chemical functional groups and SBET, respectively.TG-DTG curves showed that the heating rate significantly affected the thermal stability of YCW, with a heating rate of 10℃/min resulting in more controlled decomposition and a higher biochar yield.FTIR spectroscopy analysis indicated the degradation of C=O, -OH, and C-H groups, along with the formation of aromatic C=C bonds, particularly at 350℃.Biochar produced at 350℃ exhibited the most favorable pore development and surface chemistry.The highest BET surface area was recorded for YCW350 (1.298 m² /g), followed by YCW300 (1.266 m² /g), with a substantial decrease observed for YCW400 (0.127 m² /g) due to pore collapse.These findings provide an initial physicochemical characterization of YCW biochar, with enhanced thermal stability and chemical reactivity, offering potential applications in energy systems and agricultural waste utilization.