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Characterizations of biochar from hydrothermal carbonization of exhausted coffee residue

  • SPECIAL FEATURE: ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • 3rd 3R International Scientific Conference (3rd 3RINCs 2016)
  • Published:
Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to produce renewable energy from exhausted coffee residue, which is a form of biomass. As coffee preference continues to increase, the importation of coffee beans has been increasing sharply. However, the amount of coffee that is actually consumed is only about 0.2% of coffee beans, while the spent coffee beans are discarded in the form of exhausted coffee residue. Hydrothermal carbonization is a method of producing an improved fuel from renewable energy sources by changing the physical and chemical properties of biochars. Biochars were obtained from a variety of reaction temperatures during hydrothermal carbonization and analyzed using elemental analysis, ultimate analysis, and calorific value measurement. The atomic C/O and C/H ratios of all obtained biochars decreased and were found to be similar to those of lignite and sub-bituminous coal. The highest energy recovery efficiency of biochar indicates that the optimum reaction temperature for hydrothermal carbonization was between 210 and 240 °C, which produced biochars with calorific value of approximately 26–27 MJ/kg. The spectra of biochars obtained from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed fewer C–O and aliphatic C–H functional groups, but more carbonyl C=O functional groups and aliphatic CH x groups. The results of this study indicate that hydrothermal carbonization can be used as an effective means to generate highly energy-efficient renewable fuel resources from coffee residue. The thermogravimetric analysis provided the changing combustion characteristics due to increased fixed carbon content.

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Acknowledgements

This work is financially supported by the Korean Ministry of Environment (MOE) as Waste to Energy and Recycling Human Resource Development Project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bio Resource Team, Plant Engineering Division, Institute for Advanced Engineering, 175-28, 51 Goan-ro, Beagam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, 449-863, Gyeonggi-do, Korea

    Daegi Kim

  2. Environmental and Plant Engineering Research Institute, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, 283, Goyangdae-ro, Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si, 10223, Gyeonggi-do, Korea

    Kwanyong Lee

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Systems Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-701, Korea

    Daeun Bae & Ki Young Park

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  1. Daegi Kim
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  2. Kwanyong Lee
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  4. Ki Young Park
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Correspondence to Ki Young Park.

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Kim, D., Lee, K., Bae, D. et al. Characterizations of biochar from hydrothermal carbonization of exhausted coffee residue. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 19, 1036–1043 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-016-0572-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-016-0572-2

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