Project Title: Pyrolysis Conversion of Coconut Husk into Biochar for Potential use as Activated Carbon

Researcher: Elfina binti Azwar, Amir Haqim bin Shahidin, Liew Rock Keey, Dr. Lam Su Shiung

Product Summary: Biochar is a carbon-rich product obtained from pyrolysis of biomass in an inert environment. Coconut husk, an abundantly available biomass waste, was converted into biochar using a newly developed pyrolysis method incorporating microwave heating. This pyrolysis method offers a fast heating and short process time compared to that shown by other existing methods. A biochar with high porosity was produced using this method. The biochar also showed a high carbon content (78 wt%), representing a carbon-dense product with high resistance towards chemical reactions. Combined with the detection of a surface area of 51 m2/g, the biochar shows potential to be upgraded for use as activated carbon with wider applications such as aquaculture wastewater treatment and air purification.

Award: Gold Medal, Best Award in Technology

Project Title: Production of biochar for Potential use as Green Solid Fuel or Bio-Based Chemicals by Microwave Pyrolysis of Waste Fruit Peel 

Researcher: Lim Xin Yi, Wong Yee Mun, Liew Rock Keey, Dr. Lam Su Shiung

Product Summary: The large amounts of waste fruit peels generated by the fruit processing industry are simply disposed by landfilling despite being a renewable biomass resource that can be converted into potentially useful materials. In this study, waste fruit peels were pyrolyzed using microwave heating (termed “microwave pyrolysis”) as opposed to the use of conventional furnace heating (termed “conventional pyrolysis”). The microwave pyrolysis approach showed advantages in providing a rapid heating and shorter process time, representing the inventiveness of this approach. Biochar was obtained a solid product with desirable properties. The biochar has a calorific value (27 MJ/kg) comparable to that of fossil fuel, making it a potential replacement for coal in electricity generation. It showed a negligible sulphur content and therefore presents no contribution to acid rain when it was used as a solid fuel. The biochar also has a high surface area (80 m2/g) that makes it an effective medium for nutrient retention in soil, thus showing potential to be used as organic fertilizer. The carbon-dense biochar can also be potentially used as carbon black, which is commonly used as pigment and reinforcement in rubber and plastic products. Overall, the conversion of waste fruit peels into valuable biochar presents many economic and environmental benefits.

Award: Gold Medal

Project Title: Production of Carbon-Dense Biochar with Good Thermal Durability as Potential Catalyst Support from Pyrolysis of Waste Fruit Peels 

Researcher: Goh Zhe Hong, Muhammad Helmi bin Saperi, Liew Rock Keey, Dr. Lam Su Shiung

Product Summary: Fruit peel as a common waste from the fruit processing industry in Malaysia should be diverted from impractical disposal methods such as composting and incineration to reduce environmental pollution. This study demonstrates the pyrolysis transformation of waste fruit peel into a carbon-dense biochar for use as a potential catalyst support material. High carbon (70 wt%) and low oxygen (25 wt%) contents were detected in the biochar produced. This suggests that the biochar is highly resistant to chemical reactions such as oxidation. The biochar exhibits high porosity containing mainly mesopores and a BET surface area of 105 m2/g, indicating that many spots are available for catalytic metal atom to be impregnated for further upgrading into a catalyst. The biochar was found to be thermally stable where up to 72% of the product mass was retained under combustion and pyrolysis environments. Overall, the biochar shows great potential for use as a durable catalyst support in high temperature catalytic applications. The production of biochar from waste fruit peel is in line with the concept of sustainability in which the renewable and sustainable waste resource is being used as the feedstock for biochar generation.

Award: BRONZE Medal

Project Title: Pyrolysis Using Microwave Heating: A Promising Approach to Convert Waste Oils to Potential Fuel Products

Researcher: Dr. Lam Su Shiung, Wan Adibah bt Wan Mahari, Nur Fatihah bt Zainuddin, Liew Rock Keey 

Product Summary: Waste cooking oil and waste engine oil as an environmentally hazardous waste were tested due to its wide use and high production volume in Malaysia and throughout the world, representing a waste that is readily available for recovery. Microwave pyrolysis using a microwave-heated reaction bed shows advantages in providing a good heat transfer and enhanced cracking to transform waste oils into a liquid oil product (≈70 wt%) containing light C5-C15 hydrocarbons and a high calorific value nearly similar to petrol and diesel. The recovery of useful oil products demonstrates that this pyrolysis technique shows exceptional promise as a useful approach for the treatment and recovery of problematic waste oils, thus suggesting excellent potential for scaling-up the process to a useful commercial level.

Award: Gold Medal, BEST poster design