Adsorptive removal of odour substances and NO and catalytic esterification using empty fruit bunch derived biochar

Empty fruit bunch (EFB) char was used to remove NO_x and odorous substances. The physicochemical properties of the EFB chars were altered by steam or KOH treatments. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and porosity were measured to determine the properties of the modified EFB chars. The deNO_x and adsorption test for hydrogen sulphide and acetaldehyde were performed to determine the feasibility of the modified EFB chars. The KOH-treated EFB (KEFB) char revealed higher deNO_x efficiency than with commercial activated carbon. The Cu-impregnated EFB char also had high deNO_x efficiency at temperatures higher than 150°C. The KEFB char showed the highest hydrogen sulphide and acetaldehyde adsorption ability, followed by the steam-treated EFB char and untreated EFB char. Moreover, the product prepared by sulfonation of EFB char showed excellent performance for esterification of palm fatty acid distillate for biodiesel production.