| dc.description.abstract | In developing countries, improper disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) often
results in open dumps, with composting only partially managing biowaste. MSW
composting yields 50% as residue and hence returns to the dumpsites. This study
aimed at designing and developing a gasifier combustor and a pyrolysis reactor to
pyrolyze the compost residue. The gasifier combustor provides heat for the pyrolysis
process and converts feedstock to biochar through indirect heating. Coconut shell
(CS), coconut husk (CH), wood (WD), and a mixture of residue (MR) were used as
feedstocks pyrolyzed at temperatures ranging from 500-600°C for 1.5-2 hours and
characterized biochar using proximate and ultimate analyses. The results showed that
the biochar had volatile content ranging from 33.18 to 47.19%, with moisture contents
ranging from 3.29 to 9.43%. The ash content varied from 14.25 to 25.17%, indicating less
impurities. The fixed carbon contents ranged from 27.98 to 41.39% while biochar from
MR showed the highest value, indicating superior carbon sequestration and biochar
stability. Meanwhile, carbonization of CS, WD, and MR yielded 32.91, 27.18, and 28.95%
respectively, while CH had the highest yield of 48.52%. These results demonstrated that
biochar from compost residue has the potential to enhance compost quality and treat
leachate from composting facilities. Further, the carbonization process would benefit
municipalities by converting compost residue into a value-added product for various
environmental applications. | en_US |
