Enhanced carbon dioxide mineralization of industrial alkaline wastes through date palm waste-derived activated biochar

[Geoengineering News]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147972503244X

Authors: Maisa El Gamal, Ameera F. Mohammad, Basim Abu-Jdayil, Suhaib Hameedi, Imen Ben Salem

17 September 2025

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.127268

Highlights

•Biochar from date palm waste enhanced CO2 capture with ladle furnace slag.

•H2O2-activated biochar showed 0.94 mmol/g uptake and 53 % capture efficiency.

•K2CO3-activated biochar reached 13.4 mol/L cumulative CO2 adsorption.

•Modified Avrami model best fit adsorption data with R2 > 0.99

•XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TGA confirmed carbonate and structural transformations.

Abstract

This study presents a sustainable approach for synthesizing activated biochar (BC) from date palm waste and enhancing its carbon dioxide (CO2) capture capacity through integration with industrial alkaline waste, particularly ladle furnace slag (AW-LF). BC was produced via pyrolysis at 450 °C, 600 °C, and 750 °C and chemically activated using potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The materials were tested under CO2 gas flow (10 % CO2, 0.6 L/min, 1–2 bar, 22–25 °C) using a fluidized bed reactor. The highest CO2 capture capacity reached 0.94 mmol/g with H2O2-modified BC at a 10 % BC-to-AW-LF ratio. The cumulative CO2 uptake reached a maximum of 13.4 mol/L with K2CO3-activated BC, demonstrating approximately a 380 % increase compared to the performance of unmodified AW-LF slag. Kinetic analysis confirmed the modified Avrami model as the best fit (R2 > 0.99), with the highest rate constant (Kma = 0.0118) observed for H2O2-treated samples. The findings were validated through X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), confirming stable CaCO3 formation and enhanced porosity. Preliminary TGA results suggest up to 8 % weight loss due to CO2 binding, confirming carbonation. The developed adsorbent is cost-effective, scalable, and derived from abundant agricultural and industrial wastes, supporting the circular economy and low-carbon technologies. A preliminary economic assessment estimated the cost of producing 100 g of hydrogen peroxide-modified BC at 6.6 AED (∼1.80 USD), highlighting its feasibility for large-scale applications.

Source: ScienceDirect