Preparation of activated carbon through the pyrolysis of waste bamboo chips and evaluation of its CO₂ adsorption efficacy

To mitigate the environmental impact of forestry waste, this study presents an innovative approach to convert waste bamboo chips (WB) into high-value activated carbon via pyrolysis, followed by KOH activation of the resulting semi-coke (SC). This process produces activated carbon with an exceptionally high specific surface area, suitable for CO₂ adsorption applications. We employed comprehensive thermogravimetric analysis (TG), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to characterize the pyrolysis behavior and reaction kinetics of WB. The primary mass loss in WB pyrolysis, amounting to 82.8 wt.%, occurs during devolatilization at 270–430 °C. The Coats-Redfern method estimates an average activation energy of 64.2 kJ/mol. The pyrolysis gas predominantly comprises carbon-containing components. Optimal activation with a KOH-to-biochar ratio of 2:1 yielded activated carbon with a surface area of 2883 m²/g. This activated carbon demonstrated a maximum CO₂ adsorption capacity of 4.14 mmol/g. The successful application of WB pyrolysis products in bioenergy illustrates its potential for diverse environmental applications.