Abstract
Abstract
Biochar has attracted a lot of attention as a possible carbon-sequestration material because pyrolysis converts carbon produced from biomass into an extremely durable, carbon-rich solid. This work evaluated the carbon-stability characteristics of wood-derived biochar produced by slow pyrolysis at 700°C for 5 hours under oxygen-limited conditions using thorough physicochemical characterization. The structural, chemical, morphological, elemental, and surface properties were assessed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. While FTIR revealed distinctive hydroxyl, aliphatic C–H, and oxygen-containing functional groups, the XRD pattern revealed a mostly disordered structure with crystalline and mineral-associated phases. A surface morphology with pores and interparticle spaces was found to be uneven and diverse by SEM. 85.91 weight percent C, 9.34 weight percent O, and 4.74 weight percent Ca were displayed by EDX. A heterogeneous porous structure with nitrogen adsorption reaching around 140 cm³ STP g⁻¹ was revealed by BET analysis. Overall, the findings show that the generated biochar has qualities that are advantageous for carbon stabilization and possible long-term carbon storage. However, to quantitatively confirm carbon persistence, field research and long-term incubation are needed.