The influence of temperature and heating rate on the characteristics of biochar under rapid pyrolysis

Abstract This paper presents the rapid pyrolysis results of poplar particles on a self-built semiconductor laser heating experimental platform. The effects of final temperature (400 °C, 500 °C, 600 °C) and heating rate (0.167℃/s, 10 ℃/s, 50 ℃/s and 100 ℃/s) on the biochar yield, surface morphology and graphitization degree were investigated. The results showed that final temperature and heating rate were negatively correlated with biochar yield. There are the most developed pore structures when the pyrolysis temperature is 600 °C. The influence of heating rate on biochar yield and pore structure is less pronounced than that of pyrolysis temperature on biochar yield and pore structure. The graphitization degree exhibits a trend of initially increasing and subsequently decreasing as increasing pyrolysis temperature. The highest graphitization degree is greatest at 500 °C.