Efficient recycling of disposable face masks via co-carbonization with waste biomass: A pathway to a cleaner environment

Abstract

Used COVID-19 masks produce a large amount of garbage that frequently overwhelms waste management facilities, hence they are frequently disposed of improperly. It is imperative to develop a processing technique that harnesses disposable face masks to create biofuel in order to address the environmental problems caused by their disposal. In this study, biochar production through co-carbonization of disposable face mask and waste biomass (Daniella oliveri leaves) using a fixed-bed updraft reactor was investigated as a means of recycling the wastes for a sustainable environment. A hybrid biochar with a 40.20 wt% yield was produced at a peak temperature of 350 °C, while a biochar with a 32.87 wt% yield was produced using only the biomass at a high temperature of 279 °C. According to the sample analysis, the hybrid biochar, which has a specific surface area of 397.8 m2/g, is very porous and has numerous cracks and fissures. The Fourier transform infrared analysis showed the presence of numerous functional groups, mainly hydroxyl and carbonyl groups, in the co-carbonized biochar, which was caused by the disposable face mask, indicating the possibility of using the biochar as an adsorbent and to increase soil fertility.