Thermochemical conversion of oil palm Fiber‐LDPE hybrid waste into biochar

Typical municipal solid waste (MSW) is composed mainly of biomass and polymers. In this study, the co‐conversion of a feedstock obtained from a mixture of both constituent materials is investigated. The goal of this study was to determine the suitability of a low‐temperature process for achieving biochar with properties that can make it amenable to multiple energy and environmental applications. Co‐carbonization of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) fiber (OPF) and low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) was conducted at a peak temperature of 529 °C for 80 min in a top‐lit updraft biomass conversion reactor using retort heating. The biochar yields for OPF and OPF‐LDPE were 15.9 wt% and 62.7 wt%, respectively, with the higher yield of the latter attributed to a polymer effect. The OPF and OPF‐LDPE biochars were mesoporous with relatively large specific surface areas of 352.9 and 391.4 m2 g−1, respectively. The addition of LDPE to the OPF feedstock was observed to be advantageous as it improved the biochar yield, carbon content, specific surface area, and pore volume. Consequently, the technology of choice for solid waste management offers key environment‐friendly benefits such as no electrical power requirement, an excellent waste‐to‐wealth approach, and the capacity to be used globally (in remote locations). © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd