Características principales del biocarbón derivado de restos de Theobroma cacao L. para su uso en suelos agrícolas

Using biochar to enhance agricultural soils is becoming more popular, but not much is known about the qualities of biochar made from cocoa crop leftovers. The study identified several traits of biochar created from cocoa pod husks through the pyrolysis method. The examination included the following evaluations: levels of lignocellulosic fibre, proximal analysis, microscopic structure, and functional groups. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were evaluated through an aqueous recirculation Cd²⁺ adsorption assay. The fibrous contents consisted of 56.2% cellulose, 27.07% lignin, and 3.15% hemicellulose. At a moisture content of 8.15% and a pH of 9.86, 35.58% biochar was produced. The pores were not uniform in shape and contained hydroxyl, carboxyl and carbonate groups as identified. According to the isotherms, the Cd²⁺ that can be adsorbed is 0.280 mL/g at Langmuir, and the Cd²⁺ adsorption intensity is 0.06 at Freundlich. Even though the biochar had desirable properties for acidic soils, its ability to adsorb was restricted under the tested conditions.