Energy Conversion and Management 226 (2020) 113502

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Energy Conversion and Management

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/enconman

Sawdust pyrolysis from the furniture industry in an auger pyrolysis reactor

system for biochar and bio-oil production
Ashfaq Ahmed a, b, c, Muhammad S. Abu Bakar a, Rahayu S. Sukri d, Murid Hussain c,
Abid Farooq b, Surendar Moogi b, Young-Kwon Park b, *
a
Faculty of Integrated Technologies, University Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
b
School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Republic of Korea
c
Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Defence Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
d
Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Faculty of Science, University Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE 1410, Brunei Darussalam

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: This study investigated the potential of sawdust from the processing of Acacia wood for the furniture making
Auger reactor pyrolysis industry to produce bio-oil and biochar in an auger pyrolysis reactor system. The necessary characterization to
Sawdust assess the suitability of feedstock and strategies the pyrolysis parameters was also carried out. The volatile
Value-added products
matter, ash content, carbon content and the higher heating value of the sawdust feedstock were reported as
Biochar
Bio-oil
68.46 wt%, 1.13 wt%, 47.40 wt% and 19.33 MJ/kg, respectively, with very low nitrogen and sulfur content. The
thermogravimetric (TGA and DTG) analysis of sawdust showed that the weight loss from biomass occurred in
three main stages as a result of the removal of moisture and extractives, decomposition of hemicellulose, cel­
lulose, and the lignin components. Based on the decomposition temperature window and peak conversion
temperature the pyrolysis experiments were carried out in the range of 400–600 ℃ by maintaining the nitrogen
flow rate, biomass feeding rate, rotation speed of the conveyer the residence time of materials and biomass
particle size as 300 cm3/min, 180 g/h, 4.5 RPM, 5 min, and 0.5–1.0 mm, respectively. The yields of the non-
condensable gases, biochar and bio-oil were reported in the ranges 16.70–38.47 wt%, 29.72–51.85 wt% and
29.40–45.10 wt%, respectively. The pyrolysis products were pragmatically analyzed to evaluate the influence on
yield and their properties. The higher heating values of bio-oil produced were reported in the range
28.781–29.871 MJ/kg while the pH of bio-oil indicated the strongly acidic nature with values in the range of
2.9–3.4. Chemical compounds in bio-oils were categorized as phenols, nitrogen containing compounds, guaia­
cols, organic acids, ketones, anhydrous sugars, esters, and aldehydes. Biochar characterization showed an energy
potential comparable to those of the low ranked coals with the higher heating values reported in the range of
25.01–25.99 MJ/kg. The surface morphological characteristics and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis of
the biochars indicated potential for other valued applications in the adsorption, environmental, catalyst, and
agricultural context.

1. Introduction
In recent decades, there is increasing research on renewable energy
due to the scarcities of depletion of fossil fuel reserves, uneven global
distribution of fossil fuels, fluctuating and high prices of petroleum, and
the adverse environmental effects of fossil fuel combustion [1-3]. Energy
is considered a key commodity and its demand has been growing with
increasing economic activity and populations worldwide; this is espe­
cially the case for developing countries. At present, most of the energy
needs are fulfilled by fossil resources, which continuously adds to the
environmental concerns. As such, suitable alternatives to fossil fuels are
required to reduce the dependency on energy production from these
non-renewable resources [4]. The main contributors to sustainable en­
ergy production include biomass, solar, wind, and tidal energies [5].
Amongst all renewable resources, biomass is attractive as it is an
abundant forestry product that can be transformed into biofuels, bio-
based materials, and chemicals through the use of various processing
technologies.

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: catalica@uos.ac.kr (Y.-K. Park).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2020.113502
Received 1 August 2020; Received in revised form 2 October 2020; Accepted 3 October 2020
Available online 19 October 2020
0196-8904/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A. Ahmed et al.
Acacias are rapidly growing tree species that produce large quantities
of high-quality timber. In conjunction with various other applications,
Acacia wood have been extensively used in the furniture industry to
create furniture for household use [6]. Sawdust is a byproduct of the
furniture industry produced from the shaving, trimming, cutting, and
grinding of wood during the preparation process for furniture making.
Significant quantities of sawdust are produced from the processing of
Acacia wood during the furniture making process; which is usually
discarded as waste or combusted in brick kilns to produce heat for the
brick cooking process. Sawdust is comprised of fine particles of biomass
which do not mix well with air, making it difficult to properly combust
and ultimately resulting in its incomplete combustion. Furthermore, the
direct combustion of biomass is an inefficient process, generating sub­
stantial greenhouse gas emissions from the release of carbon dioxide and
carbon monoxide, which are the primary gases contributing to the
global warming.
The utilization of sawdust as feedstock of energy recovery processes
to produce value added products may aid in overcoming complications
associated with its conventional combustion and utilization. Pyrolysis is
a promising energy recovery technology that converts biomass to value
added products such as solid biochar, liquid bio-oil, and non-
condensable gas. The major benefit of the pyrolysis process includes
the lower heating temperature requirements, lower capital cost of
equipment, and the production of the liquid phase product (bio-oil). The
latter may be re-purposed to possess the same properties as trans­
portation fuels, providing an alternative to fossil fuels. The higher
content of oxygenated compounds in bio-oil poses a major challenge in
its use in modern energy applications, as it reduces its heating value,
increasing its viscosity, acidity, corrosiveness, and instability compared
to the permissible limits. However, the research and design of varying
technologies and processes have enabled an upgrade of the properties of
pyrolysis bio-oil such that they are comparable with the properties of
fossil fuels.
Weihong et al. [7] reported on the thermogravimetric (TGA) and
kinetic characteristics of sawdust using potassium salt as a catalyst to
produce hydrogen. Gupta et al. [8] studied the optimization of the py­
rolysis process by using teak sawdust in a vertical tubular packed bed
reactor. Huang et al. [9] investigated the upgrade of bio-oil from pine
sawdust using the zinc-assisted Pd/C catalyst, reporting that the greater
pressure of hydrogen yields a higher rate of transformation for
oxygenated compounds converting to hydrocarbons. Brassard et al. [10]
reported on the biochar production from switch grass pyrolysis in an
auger reactor, demonstrating the impacts of biochar production on
greenhouse gas emissions and energy assessment. Kim et al. [11]
examined the two-step hydro-treating and hydro-deoxygenating up­
grade of bio-oil properties using pine sawdust, whilst Kabakc et al. [12]
investigated the combustion and kinetic characteristics of wood sawdust
and sawdust hydro-char produced from hydrothermal treatment. Puy
et al. [13] reported the pyrolysis of forestry waste pine wood chips in an
auger reactor and studied the characterisation of bio-oil produced.
While the studies by Campuzano el al. [14] and Brassard et al. have
reviewed the scopes, designs, advantages, challenges along with the
potential possibilities to upgrade the auger pyrolysis reactor systems to
the commercial scale application [15].
This study demonstrates the pyrolysis of sawdust to produce value
added products including the biochar and bio-oil for energy and other
applications. The sawdust was obtained from processing Acacia wood
during the furniture making process. Pyrolysis for advanced energy
applications was conducted in an auger pyrolysis reactor (APR) system
which is also known as the screw pyrolysis reactor system. Employing
APR as an energy recovery process offers many advantages including the
production ability to handle various types feedstock, higher yields of
2
Energy Conversion and Management 226 (2020) 113502
bio-oil, superior heat transfer rates, better exposure of biomass to heat,
continuous operation, easy processing and biomass handling during the
process, and the ability to scale up to the commercial or pilot scale. To
the best of the author’s knowledge, there have been no previous studies
reporting on the application of APR to valorize Acacia sawdust to pro­
duce biofuels via pyrolysis process. Detailed characterization of the
sawdust prior to pyrolysis as a prerequisite to assess the suitability and
design appropriate process parameters was also conducted. The pyrol­
ysis products were comprehensively analyzed to evaluate the influence
of pyrolysis conditions on the resultant bio-oil and biochar properties for
potential utilization in energy and other value added applications. This
study is expected to suggest the beneficial management solution for the
sawdust biomass resources, with the potential for its use at commercial
and industrial scales in sustainable energy production.
2. Experimental
2.1. Biomass sawdust preparation and characterization
The sawdust samples were obtained from the wood crushing and
grinding machine located at the Faculty of Integrated Technologies,
University Brunei in Darussalam using Acacia timber as source of wood
for potential furniture making. Samples were air dried in ambient con­
ditions for one week, then oven dried at 50 ℃ for 10 h to remove
moisture from the sawdust. Dried samples were sieved to get 0.5–1 mm
particle size of the sawdust. The samples were characterized using
proximate analysis as per the American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM) D 3173–87, ASTM D 3174–12 and ASTM D 3175–07 methods to
determine the moisture, ash and volatile matter content, respectively.
The ultimate analysis was undertaken to determine the carbon (C),
hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) content using the elemental
analyzer (Flash EA 1112 Series, Thermo-Quest, Italy). The heating
values for the sawdust were measured using bomb calorimeter (C200
UK, P.A. Hilton). The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and DTG) of
sawdust was undertaken under the pyrolysis environment using Perki­
nElmer, USA (TGA7) analyzer between 50 and 900 ℃, with a heating
rate of 25 ℃min− 1. The SEM and EDX analysis of the sawdust were
studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM;
Schottky–JSM-7610F), manufactured by the Japan Electron Optics
Laboratory Co. Ltd.
2.2. Pyrolysis system description and procedure
Fig. 1 provides a schematic diagram of the pyrolysis system used in
this study while the description is given in the Supplementary material
(section S-1). The Experiments were performed by varying the pyrolysis
temperatures from 400, 500, and 600 ◦ C. Other pyrolysis parameters,
such as the N2 flow rate, biomass feeding rate, rotation of the screw
conveyer, residence time of materials and biomass particle size, were
consistently maintained at 300 cm3/min, 180 g/h, 4.5 RPM, 5 min and
0.5–1.0 mm, respectively. A comprehensive mass balance was con­
ducted by weighing each system component before and after completion
of each experimental run. The bio-oil and biochar product yields were
determined using Equation (1). While,
WP
Product yield (wt.%) = × 100 (1)
WF
where WP is the product weight (g) from a run in; and WF is total
feedstock weight (g) used in the experiment, the gaseous product yield
from each experiment was determined by deducting the sum of the bio-
oil and biochar yields from 100. Each experiment was repeated twice,
reporting on the average values to ensure repeatability and integrity of
A. Ahmed et al. Energy Conversion and Management 226 (2020) 113502

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the APR system used in this study.

the results. The APR system was washed thoroughly with acetone and
Table 1
cleaned prior to each experimental run, to prevent contamination be­
Properties of sawdust used in this study.
tween experiments.
Properties Wt (%)
2.3. Characterization of bio-oil and biochar Proximate analysis
Moisture content (%) 9.65
The bio-oil produced from the sawdust pyrolysis in APR was Volatile matter (%) 68.46
Ash content (%) 1.33
analyzed to assess its properties and chemical composition, and the Fixed carbon* (%) 20.56
impact of temperature change on these properties. An elemental Ultimate analysis
analyzer (Flash EA 1112 Series, Thermo-Quest, Italy) was used to study C (%) 47.40
the C, H, N, and O content of the bio-oil and biochar. The calorific values H (%) 5.91
N (%) 1.30
(CV) of bio-oil and biochar were analysed using a bomb calorimeter (P.
S (%) 0.12
A. Hilton, C200 UK). The pH of biochar and bio-oil was quantified using O* (%) 45.27
pH meter from HANNA Instruments Inc. (USA). Other properties of the H/C 1.49
bio-oil, including ash content and density, were determined following O/C 0.72
the detailed methodology provided in Ahmed et al. [16]. The thermal HHV** (MJ/kg) 19.33
Empirical formula CH1.49N0.09O0.72
decomposition behavior of the bio-oil samples was analysed with the
help thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and DTG) using a PerkinElmer, * Calculated by difference.
USA (TGA7) analyzer between 50 and 600 ℃, with a heating rate of 25 ** Moisture dry basis.
℃ min− 1. The chemical composition of bio-oil were analyzed using gas
chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) system manufactured by
Agilent Technologies. Bio-oil composition was determined by 47.40 wt%, 45.27 wt%, 5.91 wt%, 1.30 wt% and 0.12 wt%, respectively.
comparing the mass spectral data available from the National Institute of The proximate and ultimate analyses results were comparable to values
Standards and Technology (NIST) data library. The Fourier transform reported from other biomass feedstock previously characterized for bio-
infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of the biochar was undertaken using an oil and biochar [17-19]. The TGA of sawdust presented the decompo­
FTIR spectrometer manufactured by Perkin Elmer. The surface-areas sition of biomass components proceeding in three main phases con­
and pore-size of the biochar were determined using a BEL Sorp-Mini II forming to the elimination of wetness and light volatiles that occurred
by N2 physisorption. The samples were degassed at 200 ℃ for the period between 50 and 200 ℃, the decomposition of hemicellulose and cellu­
3 h under vacuum prior to the BET analysis. The surface structure, lose components that occurred between 200 and 500 ℃ and the long
morphology, and elemental content in biochar samples were analyseded tailed, continuous and slow decomposition of lignin components that
using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM; Schott­ had continued up to 900 ℃. The main biomass breakdown of sawdust as
ky–JSM-7610F), manufactured by the Japan Electron Optics Laboratory a result of the decomposition of hemicellulose and cellulose components
Co. Ltd, which operated on an accelerating voltage of 5 kV at 1000× occurred between 200 and 500 ℃; this is the main contributor of bio-oil
amplification. production during the pyrolysis process. Similar biomass component
decomposition patterns have been reported in the literature by several
3. Results and discussion other researchers investigating the conversion of different biomass
feedstock [20,21]. The residual char following the completion of TGA
3.1. Characterization of sawdust for sawdust was 22.79 wt%. The heating value is often known as the
calorific value; is a basic and very important property providing an
The properties of sawdust samples, including proximate analysis, insight into the energy potential of fuels. The heating value of the sample
ultimate analysis, heating value and empirical formula, are presented in was 19.33 MJ/kg, on a dry moisture basis; this was also comparable to
Table 1 while Fig. 2 illustrates the TGA and DTG curves recorded under the heating values reported for other feedstocks such as woody biomass,
pyrolytic degradation conditions. Proximate analysis reported the forestry residues, and agricultural residues that have been evaluated for
moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, and fixed carbon content bioenergy production via the pyrolysis process [22,23]. Overall, the
as 9.65 wt%, 68.46 wt%, 1.33 wt%, and 20.56 wt%, respectively. The sawdust from Acacia wood used possessed set of good collective
ultimate analysis showed the content of C, O, H, N, and S in sawdust as

3
A. Ahmed et al. Energy Conversion and Management 226 (2020) 113502

Fig. 2. Thermogravimetric (TGA and DTG) curves of sawdust used in study.

properties proving its viability for use as a feedstock of APR to generate and fixed bed reactor combination using pine wood as feedstock. Sir­
value added products for its beneficial utilization as renewable energy ijanusorn et al. [27] investigated the effect of temperature using cassava
resource. rhizome with a twin screw reactor unit, and achieved the highest bio-oil
yield of 50.0 wt% at 550 ℃. They also reported a decrease in yield with a
further increase in temperature, consistent with the findings in this
3.2. Pyrolysis product yield
study. Pittman et al. [28] evaluated corn stalk pyrolysis in an APR sys­
tem using acid treated and non-treated feedstock, reporting similar re­
The pyrolysis was evaluated in the APR at varying temperatures
sults. The biochar yield from sawdust pyrolysis in this study using APR
including 400, 500, and 600 ◦ C. The yields of pyrolysis products are
was in the range of 29.72–51.85 wt%, where yield was decreasing with
provided in Table 2; with biochar, bio-oil and gaseous product yields
increasing temperature. The biochar yield reached the maximum (51.85
ranging between 29.72–51.90 wt%, 29.40–45.10 wt%, and
wt%) at the lowest temperature (400 ◦ C), and was found to be
16.70–38.47 wt%, respectively. The bio-oil yield was observed to in­
decreasing continuously with increasing temperature. The lowest yield
crease with temperature between a heating window of 400–500 ◦ C,
of biochar was 29.72 wt% at 600 ◦ C, attributed to the maximum level of
resulting in higher decomposition rates for the cellulose and hemicel­
degradation of sawdust components at a high temperature resulting in
lulose constituents of the feedstock. A further rise in the pyrolytic tem­
the removal of volatiles, the reduction of biochar production and an
perature between the heating window of 500–600 ◦ C resulted in
increase in the production of bio-oil and gaseous products [14]. Pittman
decrease in bio-oil production. The bio-oil yield in pyrolysis process was
et al. [28] obtained a biochar yield of 23.50 wt% from the pyrolysis of
generally associated with the elimination of vapor, as a result of the
corn stalks; this is lower than the minimum yield attained in this study.
decomposition of biomass hemicellulose and cellulose components. In
Puy et al. [13] found a comparable biochar yield from the pyrolysis of
this study, it was anticipated that at lower temperature (400 ◦ C) there
woodchips at 500 ℃, using an ARP system operating at a feeding rate of
was reduced decomposition of sawdust constituents resulting in
3.9 kg/h. The yield of non-condensable gaseous products was within a
decreased bio-oil production [24]. The yield of bio-oil was the highest at
range of 16.70–38.47 wt%, and was found to increase with temperature.
a temperature of 500 ◦ C (45.10 wt%), which was decreased to 31.81 wt
The additional decomposition of vapors resulting in the formation of
% when the temperature was increased to 600 ◦ C. This decrease in bio-
more non-condensable gas and the higher removal rates of volatiles from
oil yield was attributed to the secondary cracking and reforming re­
the biochar may be attributed to the higher yield of gaseous products.
actions of vapors occurring at high temperature within the auger
Similar trends in the yield of pyrolysis products from the use of palm,
reactor, reducing bio-oil yield while improving the yield of non-
Jatropha, Jatropha waste products, and fruit bunch, have also been re­
condensable gaseous products at 600 ◦ C [25]. Bosong et al. [26]
ported in the literature [29,30].
described a similar trend in the change in bio-oil yield, reporting yields
of 30.2 wt%, 34.0 wt%, and 33.1 wt% at 400, 500, and 600 ◦ C,
respectively. These yields had altered to 32.5 wt%, 30.0 wt%, and 27.0 3.3. Characterization of bio-oil
wt%, respectively, when using the HZSM-5 catalysts to upgrade the SPR
3.3.1. Collective characterization of bio-oil
Table 3 enlists different physicochemical properties of the bio-oil
Table 2
produced in this study, including the ultimate analysis, CV, ash con­
Products yields achieved from the APR of sawdust in this study.
tent, density, empirical formula, and pH. The ultimate analysis showed
Temp. (◦ C) Bio-oil (%) Biochar (%) Non cond. gases (%)
the carbon content in bio-oil produced at different temperatures range
400 29.40 51.85 16.70 from 63.28 to 65.93 wt%. The carbon content in bio-oil was improved
500 45.10 35.23 19.67 with temperature; a similar observation was made in regards to the
600 31.81 29.72 38.47
carbon content in bio-oil produced from Saccharina japonica pyrolysis,

4
A. Ahmed et al.
Table 3
Bio-oil properties produced from APR of sawdust in this study.
Temp. (℃) Ultimate analysis
C (wt, %) H (wt%) N (wt.%) O* (wt%) H/C
400 63.280 8.060 1.630 26.990 1.530
500 64.891 8.290 1.650 25.201 1.530
600 65.920 8.071 1.660 24.360 1.540
*Calculated by difference.
where carbon content increased from 60.73 wt% to 73.14 wt% with a
temperature increase from 350 to 550 ◦ C [58]. The hydrogen content of
bio-oil was between 8.07 and 8.28 wt%, with a maximum at 500 ℃ and
a minimum at 400 ℃. In contrast, there was a decrease in the oxygen
and nitrogen content recorded with an increase in temperature. The
percentage oxygen content was between 24.36 and 26.99 wt%, while
the nitrogen content was between 1.63 and 1.66 wt%. The oxygen
content in bio-oil had considerably reduced in comparison to the oxygen
content present in feedstock sawdust. This may be attributed to oxygen
constituents converting into non-condensable gases, prompting a lower
percentage of oxygen in the bio-oil. The increased nitrogen content in
bio-oil in comparison to the sawdust may be attributed to the decom­
position of protein components and nitrogen condensation, as protein
decomposition increases with temperature [31]. The greater H/C and
reduced O/C ratios in the bio-oil indicate an improvement of its prop­
erties, conducive to its use as a fuel. Fig. 3 presents the Van-krevelen
plots presenting the position of sawdust used in this study, and the
resultant bio-oil and biochar from its pyrolysis in auger reactor system.
The H/C molar ratios of bio-oil obtained from the APR were between
1.53 and 1.54, while the O/C molar ratios ranged between 0.28 and
0.32. The Van-Krevelen plots for the bio-oil obtained in this work in­
dicates its potential is comparable to light and heavy petroleum oil.
Moreover, the ultimate analysis of bio-oil was comparable to the re­
ported ultimate analysis and characteristics of pyrolysis oils obtained
from the pyrolysis of other woody biomass feedstock using APR systems
[32,33]. The CV of bio-oil from sawdust pyrolysis was between 28.78
and 29.87 MJ/kg, as shown in Table 3. The CV of bio-oil obtained at 600
℃ was the highest among all bio-oil samples produced in the study. This
was attributed to the higher carbon and hydrogen content in the bio-oil
and the lower oxygen and ash content of bio-oil produced at 600 ℃ [34].
The pH, density and ash content are also very important characteristics
of bio-oil, playing important role in its suitability as a fuel for energy
Fig. 3. Van-krevelen diagram of the feedstock sawdust, biochar and bio-oil produced in study.
Energy Conversion and Management 226 (2020) 113502
Other properties
O/C Emp. Formula CV (MJ/kg) Ash (wt.%) ρ (kg/m3) pH
0.320 CH1.53N0.12O0.32 28.781 0.060 1065.0 2.90
0.290 CH1.53N0.12O0.29 29.771 0.040 1056.0 3.20
0.280 CH1.54N0.12O0.28 29.871 0.080 1043.0 3.40
applications. The pH of the produced bio-oil indicated a strongly acidic
nature with pH values ranging between 2.9 and 3.4 (Table 3). The pH
had increased with the pyrolysis temperature, attributed to a decrease in
the organic acid amount in the bio-oil with increasing temperature, as
evident in Fig. 4. Ash content impacts on the heating value and effective
combustion of bio-oil and is considered an undesired component. A very
low ash content was found in the bio-oil, range from 0.04 to 0.06 wt%.
this is very promising for bio-oils produced from sawdust pyrolysis in an
APR system. The density of liquid fuel impacts the heat content, vis­
cosity, and flow properties of bio-oil; the density in this work ranged
between 1043–1065 kg/m3, which was in good agreement with density
values of bio-oils produced in other studies [35]. The TGA and DTG
graphs of the bio-oil samples are given in the Fig. S1 (Supplementary
data). The thermal decomposition of all the bio-oil samples produced
from APR was reported be starting in the temperature range of 65 to 70
℃ which continued up to 320 ± 10 ℃ for the bio-oils produced at 400
and 500 ℃ pyrolysis temperatures while it was reported up to 250 ℃ for
the bio-oil produced at 600 ℃. Similar values for the pyrolysis oil
decomposition ranges have been reported for the bio-oil produced from
the pyrolysis of Mallee bark at different pyrolytic temperatures [36].
3.3.2. Chemical composition of bio-oil
The chemical composition of the produced bio-oil was analyzed
using GC–MS. The chemical species in bio-oils were classified as phe­
nols, nitrogen containing compounds, guaiacols, organic acids, ketones,
anhydrous sugars, esters, and aldehydes. Fig. 4 provides concentrations
of differnt chemical components detected in the bio-oil at different py­
rolysis temperatures. The chemicals detected in bio-oil were degrada­
tion products following the condensation of vapors formed at various
temperatures. The classification of chemical components into similar
groups has also been undertaken in several other studies [37,38]. With
the increase in pyrolysis temperature, the organic acids amount had
5
A. Ahmed et al. Energy Conversion and Management 226 (2020) 113502

Fig. 4. Comparison of the chemical components in the bio-oils produced in study.

decreased. Acetic acid is generally a major constituent amongst the
organic acids, which was consistent with the results of this study [39].
Acetic acid was produced from the thermal degradation of main con­
stituents of biomass; which are mainly from the acetyl groups linked
with the xylose components [40]. Although most hemicellulose
decomposition had occurred between 240 and 395 ◦ C [41], the bio-oil
composition of products predominantly contained acetic acid as it is a
primary product formed from the decomposition of hemicellulose
polysaccharides [42]. The bio-oil produced at all temperatures mainly
consisted of oxygenated compounds. The concentration of organic acids,
ketones and guaiacols was found to decrease from the area percentage of
25.31–17.77 area%, 19.48–11. 02 area%, and 9.62–5.73 area% with a
rise in temperature from 400 to 600 ◦ C, respectively. Relatively lower
concentrations of sugars and aldehyde components were observed; these
are usually produced from the breakdown of the hemicellulose content
of sawdust. The phenolic compounds were produced from the decom­
position of lignin constituents with an increase in temperature [43]. The
higher amount of oxygenated composites in bio-oil and its highly acidic
nature suggested the inappropriateness of bio-oil for direct usage in
engines. Such an application would require an improvement in bio-oil
properties through the use of bio-oil upgradation processes [44].
3.4. Characterization of biochar samples
3.4.1. Collective properties of biochar
The biochar properties produced from sawdust in APR including the
ultimate analysis, density, pH, CV, and empirical formulae are provided
in Table 4. The carbon element was found to be the major component in
all biochar samples, ranging between 64.55 and 72.22 wt%. Carbon
content in biochar was observed to increase with temperature, with a
concurrent decrease in hydrogen and oxygen content. This was attrib­
uted to the carboxylation and dehydration reactions that occurred
during the biomass decomposition at higher pyrolysis temperatures
[32]. The rise in the carbon content in biochar compared to the carbon
content in the feedstock biomass, demonstrates an increase in the po­
tential of sawdust as solid fuel and for other value added applications
including adsorption, fertilizer and catalytic applications [45]. The H/C
molar ratio and O/C ratio plots for the biochar produced are shown in
the Van-Krevelen diagram (Fig. 3), indicating its potential compared to
low ranked coals [46].
The CV of biochar is shown in Table 4; these were between 25.01 and
25.99 MJ/kg, and had been observed to increase with temperature
which was attributed to the improvement in the biochar carbon content.
The CV of biochar from sawdust were comparable with the CV’s re­
ported in the literature for biochar obtained from poplar wood biomass
by Chen et al. [47]. Furthermore, the CV in this study was slightly higher
than that of the biochar obtained from the pyrolysis of linseed biomass
as per Sinha et al. [48]. The pH value of the biochar was between 9.1 and
9.3, with a slightly higher value for biochar produced at 400 ◦ C. The
biochar was found to possess a slightly basic nature, which indicates the
potential to use this biochar in acidic agricultural lands to restore
fertility and increase crop yield [49]. Bulk density contributes to the
calculation of the energy density and energy yields of a fuel. The density
of biochar ranged from 561–596 kg/m3, and was found to increase with
a decrease in the pyrolysis temperature. This was ascribed to the higher
removal rate of volatiles from biochar residues at higher pyrolysis
temperatures, resulting in greater bio-oil and gaseous product yield and
lower biochar yields with a reduction in the bulk density of the latter.

Table 4
Properties of biochar produced from the APR in this study.
Temp. (℃) Physicochemical properties of biochar

C (%) H (%) N (%) O* (%) H/C O/C CV (MJ/kg) ρ (kg/m3) BET area (m2g− 1) Pore size (nm) pH Emp. Formula

400 64.550 4.660 1.88 28.91 0.87 0.34 25.01 596 305.69 1.701 9.3 CH0.87N0.13O0.34
500 68.560 3.541 1.86 26.04 0.62 0.28 25.38 572 374.83 1.776 9.2 CH0.62N0.13O0.28
600 72.220 2.730 1.72 23.33 0.45 0.24 25.99 561 317.60 1.848 9.1 CH0.45N0.12O0.24
*
Calculated by difference.

6
A. Ahmed et al. Energy Conversion and Management 226 (2020) 113502

Fig. 5. FTIR spectra of the (a) feedstock sawdust (b) Biochar (produced at 400 ◦ C) (c) Biochar (produced at 500 ◦ C) (d) Biochar (produced at 600 ◦ C).

Table 5 biochars. Additionally, intense spectra bands between 850 and 1200
The functional groups identifed in the biochars from APR of sawdust. cm− 1 in the spectrum may be a result of the existence of inorganic
Wave number (Cm− 1) Functional group constituents in the biochar [52]. Peaks appearing at 873 cm− 1 were
400 ◦ C 500 ◦ C 600 ◦ C consigned to the C–H stretching bands in biochar produced at 500 and
3424.25 3410.23 3406.21 stretching (O–H) 600 ℃. Peaks that had appeared at <800 cm− 1 were considered as the
2923.10 2917.20 2953.06 CH aliphatic-stretching aromatic hydrogen peaks present in aromatic rings for all the biochars
1618.31 – – C = O stretching (ketones and esters) obtained in the study.
– 1566.12 1566.01 (C = C) aromatic-stretching
1438.03 1428.10 1426.23 (CH2–)aromatic-vibration
1111.25 1165.19 1162.21 (CO–) aromatic-stretching
3.4.3. SEM and EDX, and BET analysis of biochar
1015.07 1051.20 1047.23 (C–O) aliphatic stretching from ether, Surface properties, morphology and elemental scattering of the
(C–O) stretching from alcohol biochar samples were analyzed using SEM coupled with EDX analysis
– 874.01 873.36 (C–H) aromatic vibration from bending (SEM and EDX). The SEM imagery of the sawdust feedstock and the
< 800.00 < 800.00 (C–H) bending from aromatic rings
<
biochars produced captured at 1000X magnification is shown in Fig. 6,
800.00
and Fig. 7 presents the EDX graphs of the sawdust and biochars pro­
duced. The SEM imagery confirmed the uneven and randomly distrib­
uted cracks and pores with different intensity in the biochar produced.
3.4.2. FTIR analysis of biochar The cracks and pores were more prominent, visible, and enlarged as the
The FTIR spectra from the biochars produced at altered pyrolysis temperature had increased from 400 to 600 ◦ C. This was attributed to
temperatures are shown in Fig. 5, and Table 5 presents the functional the increased rate of decomposition and elimination of volatiles at
groups identified from the spectra. Noticeable peaks coming from the higher pyrolysis temperatures, enhancing surface roughness, surface
OH– stretching were observed in all the biochars for wave numbers area, active sites, cracks, pores, and ultimately improving the adsorption
between 3406 and 3424 cm− 1 [50]. For wave numbers ranging from and retention capacities of the biochar [53,54]. The surface areas of the
2917 to 2953 cm− 1, aliphatic CH– stretching was observed in the bio­ biochars were reported in the range of 305.69–374.83 m2gm− 1 while the
chars. The stretching at 1618 cm− 1 for biochar produced at 400 ℃ was pore size in the range of 1.701 – 1.848 nm which were found to be
assigned to the ketones and esters functional groups [51]. Aromatic ring increasing with the increase in pyrolysis temperature which were also
(C = C) stretching was seen at a wave number of 1566 cm− 1 in biochar confirmed from the SEM scans of the biochars analyzed. The BET
produced at 500 and 600 ℃. The CH2– and aromatic ring vibrations analysis values for the biochars produced in this study were found to be
were observed in all biochar for wave numbers ranging from 1426 to on higher side in comparison to the biochar produced from the bamboo
1618 cm− 1 [51]. The aromatic CO– stretching was also reported in a wood, elm wood, wheat straw at the pyrolysis temperature of 500 ℃
range of 1111–1165 cm− 1 in all biochar samples produced from the while they were comparable with the values reported for the biochars
sawdust in this study. Within the 1015–1047 cm− 1 range, stretching produced at the pyrolysis temperature of 700 ℃ [55]. The surface area
from the aliphatic ether C–O and alcohol C–OH was witnessed in all the of the biochar produced from the durian wood have also been reported

7
A. Ahmed et al. Energy Conversion and Management 226 (2020) 113502

Fig. 6. SEM images of (a) Biochar produced at 400 ◦ C, (b) Biochar produced at 500 ◦ C (c) Biochar produced at 600 ◦ C, and (d) feedstock sawdust.

Fig. 7. EDX plots of (a) Biochar produced at 400 ◦ C, (b) Biochar produced at 500 ◦ C (c) Biochar produced at 600 ◦ C, and (d) feedstock sawdust.

to increase significantly with the increase in pyrolysis temperatures
[56]. The SEM images of the biochar showed the heterogeneous and
amorphous structure of the biochar, indicating its potential suitability
for multiple applications in adsorption, and catalysis. This suitability
may further improve through the application of different biochar acti­
vation processes [57]. The EDX charts indicate the presence of essential
elements such as Mg, Ca, K, Na, C, and O; these are important and
essential elements necessary to upgrade soil and improve the potential
of biochar in agricultural applications. Detailed studies to further eval­
uate the precise influence of biochar for agricultural applications are
required to thoroughly assess the usefulness of biochar in this context.

8
A. Ahmed et al.
4. Conclusion
This study evaluated the potential of converting Acacia sawdust to
bio-oil and biochar using an auger pyrolysis system. The bio-oil yields
had increased up to a certain temperature and then decreased with
further increase in temperature. The gaseous fraction yield was observed
to increase while biochar yield decreased with an increase in the py­
rolysis temperature beyond 500 ℃. Overallyield of biochar, bio-oil, and
non-condensable gases was reported within 29.72–51.90 wt%,
29.40–45.10 wt%, and 16.70–38.47 wt%, respectively. The bio-oil was
found to mostly consist of oxygenated compounds with concentrations
of organic acids, ketones, and guaiacols decreasing with an increasing
temperature from 25.31 to 17.77 area%, 19.48–11. 02 area%, and
9.62–5.73 area%, respectively. Higher concentrations of oxygenated
compounds suggested the need for the upgradation of bio-oil to improve
its properties for modern energy applications. Biochar analysis showed
the carbon and heating values increased with temperature, indicating
their energy potential is comparable to that of low ranked coals. SEM
and BET analysis of biochars showed an increase in the surface areas,
pore size and number of cracks on the surface with increased pyrolysis
temperature. The EDX results showed the presence of C, Ca, Mg, Si, O, S,
and Na in the biochar, indicating potential for multiple value added
applications.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Ashfaq Ahmed: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation,
Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing. Muhammad S. Abu
Bakar: Conceptualization, Investigation, Supervision, Writing - original
draft, Writing - review & editing. Rahayu S. Sukri: Supervision, Writing
- review & editing, Funding acquisition. Murid Hussain: Validation,
Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing. Abid Farooq: Data
curation, Formal analysis, Writing - review & editing. Surendar Moogi:
Validation, Data curation, Writing - review & editing. Young-Kwon
Park: Project administration, Supervision, Writing - review & editing,
Funding acquisition.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
The support from Brunei Research Council under project (UBD/BRC/
11) and National Research Foundation of Korea under the project (NRF-
2020R1I1A1A01072793) is gratefully acknowledged to conduct this
research. This research was also supported by the Technology Devel­
opment Program to Solve Climate Changes of the National Research
Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Korea Government (MSIT)
(2020M1A2A2079801).
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.enconman.2020.113502.
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