INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICAL THEORY (IJASMT )
E- ISSN 2489-009X
P- ISSN 2695-1908
VOL. 11 NO. 2 2025
DOI: 10.56201/ijasmt.vol.11.no2.2025.pg1.10
E. Komonibo, B. E. Yabefa
The rising generation of biowaste from agricultural, municipal, and industrial activities poses significant environmental and waste management challenges. Pyrolysis presents a viable solution by converting biowaste into biochar, bio-oil, and syngas, offering both waste reduction and resource recovery opportunities. This study investigates the influence of key pyrolysis parameters—temperature, heating rate, and residence time—on biochar yield and quality. Findings reveal that slow pyrolysis (300–500°C) with extended residence time optimizes biochar production, while fast and flash pyrolysis (500–1000°C) prioritize bio-oil and syngas yields, respectively. Furthermore, the study highlights biochar’s potential for soil improvement, carbon sequestration, and pollution mitigation. However, challenges such as the absence of standardized guidelines, limited awareness, and inadequate government incentives hinder its large-scale adoption. To overcome these barriers, the study recommends optimizing process conditions, establishing regulatory frameworks, promoting renewable energy applications, and conducting further research on feedstock variability. Additionally, government incentives and public awareness initiatives are essential to enhance adoption. A thorough economic and environmental assessment of large-scale biochar production is necessary to ensure its long-term sustainability. With continued research, policy support, and technological advancements, pyrolysis can significantly contribute to sustainable waste management, renewable energy generation, and environmental conservation.
Pyrolysis, process parameters, biochar, biowaste management, renewable energy
Ahmad, M., Rajapaksha, A. U., Lim, J. E., Zhang, M., Bolan, N., Mohan, D., Vithanage, M.,
Lee, S. S., & Ok, Y. S. (2014). Biochar as a sorbent for contaminant management in
soil and water: A review. Chemosphere, 99, 19–33.
Biederman, L. A., & Harpole, W. S. (2013). Biochar and its effects on plant productivity and
nutrient cycling: A meta-analysis. GCB Bioenergy, 5(2), 202–214.
Brassard, P., Godbout, S., & Raghavan, V. (2016). Pyrolysis in biochar production: A review
of systems, processes, and environmental implications. Journal of Analytical and
Applied Pyrolysis, 120, 165-176.
Brassard, P., Godbout, S., Raghavan, V., Palacios, J. H., & Landry, H. (2016). A review of
biochar production processes. Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal,
18(2), 110-132.
Chen, L., Chen, Q., Rao, P. H., Yan, L., & Li, Q. (2019). Application of biochar for the removal
of pollutants from aqueous solutions. Chemosphere, 221, 768-781.
Glaser, B., Lehmann, J., & Zech, W. (2002). Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of
highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal – a review. Biology and Fertility
of Soils, 35(4), 219-230.
Jeffery, S., Verheijen, F. G. A., Van Der Velde, M., & Bastos, A. C. (2017). A quantitative
review of the effects of biochar application to soils on crop productivity using meta-
analysis. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 191, 61–67
Joseph, S., Lehmann, J., & Kammann, C. (2021). Biochar-influenced nitrogen transformation
pathways: A meta-analysis. Science of the Total Environment, 753, 142-165.
Kumar, A., Gupta, A., Dai, Y., Sharma, B., & Joshi, C. P. (2020). Biochar application in
agriculture for environmental risk mitigation and sustainability. Environmental
Research, 186, 109485.
Lehmann, J., & Joseph, S. (2015). Biochar for environmental management: Science,
technology and implementation (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Lehmann, J., Gaunt, J., & Rondon, M. (2006). Bio-char sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems
– a review. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 11(2), 395-419.
Libra, J. A., Ro, K. S., Kammann, C., Funke, A., Berge, N. D., Neubauer, Y., Titirici, M. M.,
Fühner, C., Bens, O., Kern, J., & Emmerich, K. H. (2011). Hydrothermal
carbonization of biomass residuals: A comparative review of the chemistry, processes,
and applications of wet and dry pyrolysis. Biofuels, 2(1), 71–106.
Liu, X., Zhang, A., Ji, C., Joseph, S., Bian, R., Li, L., & Pan, G. (2018). Biochar’s effect on
crop productivity and the dependence on experimental conditions—a meta-analysis
of literature data. Plant and Soil, 426(1-2), 1-18.
Mohan, D., Pittman Jr, C. U., & Steele, P. H. (2014). Pyrolysis of wood/biomass for bio-oil: A
critical review. Energy & Fuels, 20(3), 848–889.
Schmidt, H. P., Abiven, S., Kammann, C., Glaser, B., Bucheli, T. D., Leifeld, J., & Sohi, S.
(2021). Biochar in agriculture – A systematic review of 26 global meta-analyses. GCB
Bioenergy, 13(11), 1708–1730.
Schmidt, H. P., Shackley, S., Hagemann, N., Draper, K., & Cornelissen, G. (2018). The biochar
economy: A review of the current state of knowledge on the economic aspects of
biochar. GCB Bioenergy, 11(2), 371–400.
Song, X., Xue, X., Chen, D., He, P., & Dai, X. (2019). Heavy metal contamination in
agricultural soils: A global perspective. Environmental Research, 177, 108–118.
Sun, K., Ro, K. S., Libra, J. A., & Berge, N. D. (2017). Hydrothermal carbonization of biomass:
A review of the process chemistry. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 68,
179-192.
Tan, X. F., Liu, Y. G., Gu, Y. L., Xu, Y., Zeng, G. M., Hu, X. J., ... & Cai, X. X. (2017).
Biochar-based materials and their applications in removal of organic contaminants
from wastewater: State-of-the-art review. Bioresource Technology, 246, 254-270.
Tripathi, M., Sahu, J. N., & Ganesan, P. (2016). Effect of process parameters on production of
biochar from biomass waste through pyrolysis: A review. Renewable and Sustainable
Energy Reviews, 55, 467-481.
Wang, J., Xiong, Z., & Kuzyakov, Y. (2019). Biochar stability in soil: Meta-analysis of
decomposition and priming effects. GCB Bioenergy, 11(12), 1180-1191.
Woolf, D., Amonette, J. E., Street-Perrott, F. A., Lehmann, J., & Joseph, S. (2010). Sustainable
biochar to mitigate global climate change. Nature Communications, 1, 56.
Zhang, X., Xu, Y., Liu, H., & Zhang, H. (2020). Environmental impacts of agricultural
residues: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 268, 121–137.