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<p><i>Azadirachta indica</i> (neem) seed cake, a byproduct of neem oil extraction, holds significant potential as a sustainable feedstock for biochar production due to its rich bioactive content and widespread availability. This study aimed to investigate the pyrolysis of neem seed cake for biochar production, focusing on thermal behavior, kinetic modeling, process optimization, and product characterization. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to assess thermal decomposition, revealing a peak activation energy of 429.33&#xa0;kJ/mol at 0.75 conversion, indicating high biomass stability. Process optimization was conducted using Response Surface Methodology with a Box–Behnken Design, evaluating temperature (400–500&#xa0; °C), catalyst loading (1–5%), and residence time (30–60&#xa0;min). The model showed strong predictive capability (R<sup>2</sup> &gt; 0.90) for biochar yield. The resulting biochar was comprehensively characterized using advanced techniques, including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for morphological assessment, Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDS) analysis for elemental composition, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for identifying functional groups, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis for evaluating surface area and porosity. The biochar was also evaluated for its application as an acidic catalyst. These results demonstrate the potential of neem seed cake as an efficient and sustainable source for high-quality biochar production.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Neem seed cake as a feedstock for sustainable biochar: kinetics, optimization, and characterization insights

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月2日

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  • Manisha Rani,
  • Rohan R. Pande,
  • Kamalesh A. Sorate

摘要

Azadirachta indica (neem) seed cake, a byproduct of neem oil extraction, holds significant potential as a sustainable feedstock for biochar production due to its rich bioactive content and widespread availability. This study aimed to investigate the pyrolysis of neem seed cake for biochar production, focusing on thermal behavior, kinetic modeling, process optimization, and product characterization. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to assess thermal decomposition, revealing a peak activation energy of 429.33 kJ/mol at 0.75 conversion, indicating high biomass stability. Process optimization was conducted using Response Surface Methodology with a Box–Behnken Design, evaluating temperature (400–500  °C), catalyst loading (1–5%), and residence time (30–60 min). The model showed strong predictive capability (R2 > 0.90) for biochar yield. The resulting biochar was comprehensively characterized using advanced techniques, including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for morphological assessment, Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDS) analysis for elemental composition, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for identifying functional groups, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis for evaluating surface area and porosity. The biochar was also evaluated for its application as an acidic catalyst. These results demonstrate the potential of neem seed cake as an efficient and sustainable source for high-quality biochar production.

Graphical Abstract