The environmental impacts via life cycle assessment of activated carbon produced by Fiddlewood and Jacaranda biomass

In this study, activated carbons (AC) were prepared from the leaves of two different biomasses, Fiddlewood (FW) and Jacaranda (J), using an H₃PO₄ chemical activation agent. The properties of the prepared ACs were analyzed using various characterization techniques such as SEM, EDX, XRD, TGA, and FTIR. The SEM results revealed that pores were formed in FW-based AC. XRD results revealed that the prepared ACs had carbonaceous structures. This life cycle assessment (LCA) study evaluated the environmental impacts of producing AC from FW biomass using various reaction pathways. They have focused on different activation approaches (physical and chemical) and thermochemical conversion techniques (pyrolysis and gasification). The primary goal is to understand the emissions of pollutants such as methane (CH₄), carbon dioxide (CO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) associated with each stage of the biomass-based AC production process. LCA findings show that producing biomass-based AC through gasification and physical activation produces the lowest global warming potential. AC production from unconventional raw materials highlights the importance of detailed techno-economic analysis. The cost of process inputs was computed for lab-scale production costs, which were then extended to estimate the potential cost of a pilot project. Graphical abstract: (Figure presented.)