Açaí Peels and Chestnuts Become Biochar

A research developed by the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) proposes an innovative destination for abundant agroindustrial waste in the Amazon, such as Brazil nut shells and açaí remnants. Through pyrolysis, a controlled heating process without oxygen presence, these materials are converted into biochar, a solid biofuel that presents itself as a renewable and high-energy efficiency alternative, contributing to waste reduction and polluting gas mitigation. According to the study, Brazil, the world's largest açaí producer with approximately 1.7 million annual tons, and responsible for 38,000 tons of Brazil nuts, generates a large volume of waste that could be better utilized. Doctoral student Ianca Oliveira Borges, guided by Professor Gustavo Henrique Denzin Tonoli, highlights that the obtained biochar has a calorific power of up to 21.07 MJ/kg, surpassing conventional biomaterials and showing thermal stability and low volatile compound content, characteristics that make it ...