Sukarni Sukarni, Alvin Fadhila, Yahya Zakaria, Avita Ayu Permanasari, Poppy Puspitasari
Particle size and porosity are critical physical properties of biomass that would affect its thermal conversion. The diffusion of substances, mass transfer process, and trapping during thermal treatment of biomass are highly dependent on both properties. Therefore, understanding these physical properties is essential in conducting a biomass thermochemical process to harness energy from renewable sources, such as microalgae. This paper presents the particle size distribution (PSD) and porosity of the microalgae Arthrospira platensis (AP) added activated carbon (AC) by a mass ratio of 100AP/30AC. The homogeneous blend was achieved by stirring together the materials at 1200 rpm for 30 min. The images of the sample were then taken using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). From the image produced, the particle size and porosity were analyzed. The result indicated that most of the particles observed in the blended sample were of the size 30 and 50 µm. It is strongly hypothesized that particles sized between 0-30 µm would affect the products of the tar, gas, and bio-oil during the pyrolysis process, while particles between 30-50 µm would significantly influence the yield of char products. It was also found that the blended materials have a porosity of around 59.35%. These pores would facilitate oxygen diffusion during the thermal oxidizing process, leading to greater combustion reactivities. In pyrolysis, these pores would facilitate various processes, such as heat and mass transfer to the inner surface, and affecting the products produced from this process. Nevertheless, a future in-depth study is needed to understand how AC significantly affects pore formation in the AP by comparing the blended sample to the parent of both materials. © 2023 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Negeri Malang, Jl.Semarang No 5, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Center of Advanced Materials for Renewable Energy (CAMRY), Universitas Negeri Malang, Jl.Semarang No 5, Malang, 65145, Indonesia