Biochar characterization obtained from Citrus aurantifolia waste using Raman and FTIR spectroscopy coupled with principal component analysis

Abstract

Recent interest in characterizing biochars derived from agro-industrial residues has grown due to their various applications. Understanding biochar's behavior during the pyrolysis process is crucial to enhancing its manufacturing conditions. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to utilize FTIR and Raman spectroscopy to characterize biochars produced from Citrus aurantiifolia residues and examine the effects of different pyrolysis temperatures using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). We demonstrated that the combination of FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, alongside PCA, effectively characterizes the chemical phenomena occurring during the pyrolysis of biochar obtained from Citrus aurantiifolia peel. The spectra obtained from both techniques allowed us to identify the concentration of specific functional groups, providing insight into how temperature influences the pyrolysis of the resulting biochar. Additionally, the multivariate PCA analysis revealed distinct groupings among the different biochars, highlighting its efficacy as a tool for extracting meaningful information from spectral data.