PRODUCTION AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF ULTRAFINE BAMBOO BIOCHAR PROCESSED USING FRICTION GRINDER SUPERMASS COLLOIDER

Abstract

Friction grinding technology has not been employed in refining biochar. In the current study, ultrafine biochar was produced from a native Philippine bamboo species, Bambusa blumeana, using a friction grinder supermass colloider. Pyrolysed bamboo was granulated, then refined with the friction grinder super mass colloider using various combinations of grinder clearance and number of passes. The properties such as pH, electrical conductivity and adsorption efficiency of the material were tested. The friction grinder effectively reduced the bamboo biochar to powder with less than 1 μm particle size and a size distribution of 0.48–3.07 μm after 7 passes and a negative 10 clearance setting. A basic pH ranging from 9.55 to 9.98 and electrical conductivity ranging from 11.58 to14.3 S m^-1 were obtained. Both properties were unaffected by the conditions used for grinding. Adsorption of methylene blue at room temperature by the bamboo biochar was enhanced up to 79.8% with size reduction. Scanning electron microscopy imaging revealed that this was due to the increase in surface area and exposure of the pore structure of the refined bamboo biochar.