Effect of Thermal Stagnation on the Pore Evolution and Fuel Properties of Microwave-Pyrolyzed Rice Husk

This study evaluates the potentiality of rice-husk biochar produced by microwave pyrolysis for its suitability use as fuel-energy. The microwave pyrolysis temperature set to 350oC with maximum operating power of 700W and residence time of 30 minutes, the sample was thermally stagnated at pyrolysis temperature of 200oC, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and structural analysis using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) was conducted on the sample to explore its weight loss at stagnated temperature, surface area and pore structures respectively. The surface area was found to be 2.76×102 m2g-1, pore volume of 3.191419 × 10-1cc/g and pore size of 1.8916 nm. The TGA result in the temperature range 30oC to 200oC shows the mass loss of 2.19%. It is evaluated that rice husk treated at this pyrolysis temperature (200oC) has faster ignition and more stable burning in direct-heating appliances, reduce problems linked to wet fuel (steam quenching, smoky start-ups). This sample can be blended with coal in existing power plants or direct cooking; this reduces carbon emissions and utilizes the high volatile content of the RH to improve the ignition characteristics of the coal.