Abstract
This work investigates the valorization of Alfa grass collected from eastern Morocco into biochar for CO(2) capture applications. Biochar was produced using tubular (under N(2)) and muffle (in air) furnaces at 300, 400, and 500 °C. Comprehensive characterization (FTIR, Raman, SEM, TGA, BET, elemental analysis, and density) revealed strong correlations between the preparation conditions and structural/chemical properties. Experimental adsorption tests at 30 °C and 1 bar demonstrated that slow pyrolysis under N(2) produced superior materials, with a CO(2) uptake reaching ∼ 1.2 mmol g(-1) that was about 34% higher than that of air-treated counterparts. Although surface areas were relatively low, the presence of both micro- and mesopores combined with favorable surface chemistry played a dominant role in adsorption performance. Kinetic analysis further confirmed that selected samples (P500 and G300) could be fitted with a pseudo-second-order model (R (2) ≈ 0.99), highlighting fast and effective adsorption.