Preliminary characterisation and valorisation of Ficus benjamina fruits for biofuel application

Preliminary characterisation and valorisation of Ficus benjamina fruits for biofuel application

Ficus benjamina (FB) is a perennial plant that serves ornamental purposes. Its fruits are nonedible and considered ‘waste’ with no defined application. This paper discusses the valorisation and identification of the potential of Ficus benjamina fruits as a suitable biofuel feedstock. The whole fruit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biomass conversion and biorefinery Vol. 13; no. 14; pp. 12643 - 12654
Main Authors: Ezealigo, Uchechukwu Stella, Ezealigo, Blessing Nonye, Plaza, Marta González, Dim, Ebubechukwu Nnamdi, Kemausuor, Francis, Achenie, Luke Ekem Kweku, Onwualu, Azikiwe Peter
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-09-2023
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Biodiesel fuels
Biofuels
Biotechnology
Bomb calorimetry
Calorific value
Chemical properties
Energy
Fourier transforms
Fruits
Infrared analysis
Moisture effects
Original Article
Raw materials
Renewable and Green Energy
Thermogravimetric analysis
Biofuel
Feedstock
fruits
Valorisation
Waste
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Summary:Ficus benjamina (FB) is a perennial plant that serves ornamental purposes. Its fruits are nonedible and considered ‘waste’ with no defined application. This paper discusses the valorisation and identification of the potential of Ficus benjamina fruits as a suitable biofuel feedstock. The whole fruit was characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and bomb calorimeter. In addition, the proximate and ultimate analyses were performed to determine their physical, thermal, and chemical properties for potential biofuel application. Pulverised Ficus benjamina fruits (PFB) have a porous morphology that makes them less dense with a crystallinity index of 25.5%. The moisture, ash, volatile matter, and fixed carbon contents were 9.29, 6.26, 64.35, and 20.10%, respectively. The higher heating value (19.74 MJ/kg) and lower heating value (18.55 MJ/kg) are comparable to other biomass feedstocks. The results establish the possibility of using PFB as a solid biofuel. Graphical abstract
ISSN:2190-6815
2190-6823
DOI:10.1007/s13399-021-02230-1