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Oil palm trunk (OPT) is a solid residue discharged from palm-oil upstream industry, with high potential as a feedstock for solid fuel production. However, its high moisture content and low energy density causes the limitation of utilization. In this research, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) was applied to upgrade OPT. Effect of different reaction temperature and residence time on thermal characteristics and combustion behaviors of hydrochar obtained from HTC were investigated. OPT gradually converted into hydrochar with higher carbon content and heating values. The proximate and ultimate analyses indicated that fuel properties of hydrochars enhanced by increasing HTC temperature and residence time. The high heating values (HHV) increased by 7.18% at 180 °C, 30 min and reached up to 48% at 240 °C, 60 min. Meanwhile, combustion behaviors of hydrochars based on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were examined. The results showed that hydrochars had a higher ignition temperature than that of the raw OPT, leading to a more stable combustion. Furthermore, slagging and fouling problems were greatly minimized owing to the removal of a significant portion of alkaline remained in OPT, especially potassium (66% removal) and calcium (48% removal). The results revealed that OPT is of great potential as a solid fuel employing HTC process.

Empty fruit bunches (EFBs) are waste from the palm oil production. It has a high potential for use as a renewable carbon resource. As it typically contains a high moisture content, it requires a moisture removal step prior to transformation into high-value products via thermochemical processes. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an effective method for converting moisture-rich biomass into carbon-based products. The feasibility of employing EFBs as a feedstock for the production of promising carbonaceous materials via HTC in a batched stirred tank reactor was investigated in this research. The parameters influencing the HTC’s product properties, including reaction temperatures ranging from 160 to 280 °C and reaction times ranging from 2 to 8 h, were examined. The mass ratio of dried EFBs to water content was kept constant at 1:10. The hydrochar properties were evaluated using ultimate analysis, proximate analysis, N2-physisorption, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis (FTIR). The carbon content and amount of fixed carbon increased with increasing reaction temperature. The well-developed hydrochar was produced at a temperature of 240 °C for 2 h, providing a carbon content of 70% and a fixed carbon of 35%, with a solid yield of 41%. The surface area of this hydrochar was 11.21 m2/g, the pore volume of 0.033 cm 3/g, and the pore diameter of 10.89 nm. This study showed the effective preparation of materials with high carbon content from moisture-rich agricultural wastes.

Empty fruit bunches (EFBs) discarded from the palm oil industry were converted into hydrochars with a high surface area via hydrolytic agent-assisted hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). The reaction temperature was varied (160, 200, 240, and 280°C) for a constant reaction time of 2 h. The effects of the type of hydrolytic agent (H2O2 and H2SO4) on the hydrochar properties were investigated. The physical and chemical properties of the as-obtained hydrochars, such as surface area, porosity, morphology, functional groups, and elemental composition, were characterized. The results showed that the fixed carbon and carbon contents increased with increasing temperature. At 280°C, the hydrochar produced via the H2SO4-assisted HTC process had the highest fixed carbon (38.35 wt.%) and carbon (72.65 wt.%) contents. In comparison, the hydrochar (O-EFB280h2) produced via the H2O2-assisted HTC process at 280° C exhibited the highest surface area (479.19 m² /g) and pore volume (0.727 cm³ /g), and it contained functional groups such as C-H, C=O, and C-O. The H2O2-assisted HTC process produced hydrochars with a high surface area that could be used in a variety of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]