en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) has developed a Flame Plasma Pyrolysis (FPP) technology that can directly process coffee grounds with a moisture content of approximately 55% under atmospheric pressure, converting them into high-value biochar without the need for pre-drying.

Globally, over 10 million tons of waste coffee grounds are generated annually, most of which are landfilled or incinerated, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution. While coffee grounds have considerable calorific value potential, their high moisture content necessitates energy-intensive pre-drying steps for conversion into traditional fuels or carbon products, making the process economically unviable in the long term. The research team utilized a plasma flame generated by combusting liquefied petroleum gas and compressed air at approximately 800–900°C to achieve direct processing without pre-drying.

During the process, thermal energy rapidly evaporates the internal moisture of the coffee grounds, causing a pressure increase that triggers micro-explosions, accelerating carbonization while forming a highly porous structure. The moisture acts as a steam activator, enhancing reaction efficiency. Under optimized conditions, the technology completes conversion within 90 seconds, reducing mass by 83.3%. The resulting biochar has a calorific value of 29.0 MJ/kg, an increase of approximately 33% from the 21.8 MJ/kg of raw coffee grounds, comparable to anthracite coal. Additionally, fixed carbon content increases, sulfur oxides disappear, and specific surface area expands.

This biochar can be used both as a renewable solid fuel and as a high-value carbon material in environmental and industrial applications.

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