Bioadditive-assisted biochar production, heteroatom doping via microwave heating, and heavy metal remediation

In this thesis study, environmentally friendly and sustainable biochar was produced using pomegranate peels as a raw material. The pomegranate peels were pyrolyzed using a conventional microwave oven method to obtain biochar. Microwave pyrolysis was conducted at different power levels (250 W, 500 W, 750 W, and 1000 W) and durations (5, 10, 20, and 40 minutes) to investigate the optimal production conditions. The resulting biochar was subjected to heteroatom doping to enhance its surface properties and adsorption capacity. In this context, nitrogen (N) doping was carried out using NH₃ and HNO₃, sulfur (S) with H₂SO₄, phosphorus (P) with H₃PO₄, and oxygen (O) with H₂O₂. Each doping process was applied at different molar ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4) to determine the optimal doping condition. The adsorption capacity of the produced activated carbon materials for heavy metal ions such as Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ was investigated. The adsorption studies included a detailed analysis of initial concentration, adsorbent dosage, temperature, and kinetic parameters. Characterization studies were conducted to determine the morphological, structural, and surface properties of the materials using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy), XRD (X-ray Diffraction), BET (Surface Area Analysis), and FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy). The results demonstrated that heteroatom-doped biochars derived from pomegranate peels are environmentally friendly adsorbents with high performance in the removal of heavy metals.