Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• Bidit Lamsal ^{1, 2, 3}
• Deepshikha Karki ^{1, 2, 3}
• Ramesh Puri ^{1, 3}
• Kamal Prasad Sharma ⁴
• Takahiro Maruyama ⁵
• Rameshwar Adhikari ^{1, 2, 3}

¹ Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), Tribhuvan University (TU), Kirtipur, 44618, Kathmandu, Nepal

² Central Department of Chemistry, TU, Kirtipur, 44618, Kathmandu, Nepal

³ Nepal Polymer Institute (NPI), P. O. Box 24411, Kathmandu, Nepal

⁴ Department of Applied Chemistry, Nanomaterials Research Centre, Meijo University, 1-501 Shigamaguchi, Tempaku, Nagoya, 468-8502, Japan

⁵ Department of Applied Chemistry, Nanomaterials Research Centre, Meijo University, 1 -501 Shigamaguchi, Tempaku, Nagoya, 468-8502, Japan

Abstract

Charcoal was prepared in a facile way using a muffle furnace by direct pyrolysis of mustard oil cake and sugarcane bagasse attempting inert gas-free high-temperature pyrolysis at 900 °C. The structure of the obtained product was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The lack of long-range order in the prepared charcoal has been attested by the appearance of weak and broad 2D peaks in the Raman spectra. The diameter of the crystallites was found to be 3.66 nm (mustard oil cake) and 3.79 nm (sugarcane bagasse). The material was found to consist essentially of amorphous carbon with the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups. On analyzing the elemental composition by XPS, only carbon and oxygen atoms were observed. The charcoal was found to retain the layered morphology, organized in a sheet-like or flakes-like manner, of precursor lignocellulosic biomass. Charcoal with properties comparable to that obtained from the conventional method could be prepared in the absence of inert gas.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

• Charcoal
• electron microscopy
• spectroscopy
• pyrolysis
• oil cake

Main Subjects

• Carbon Materials and Technology