Electricity generation in microbial fuel cell from wet torrefaction wastewater and locally developed corncob electrodes

Abstract Corncob pyrochar activated with steam (CCA) and nonactivated corncob (NCC) were produced characterized. The performance of the best material was tested in a dual‐chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) as an electrode for bioelectricity generation using wet torrefaction wastewater substrate. Pyrolysis 80.3 g dried corncobs carried out at 600°C under constant N 2 flow 3 L min −1 30 resulting also 600°C. Voltage current outputs from MFC recorded daily 18 days. proximate Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analyses revealed that CCA had highest fixed carbon content 71.9 % higher 104.0 m respectively. A larger pore diameter 1.9 × 10 −3 µm than 1.2 NCC. maximum power output 21.5 mW. physicochemical effluent increased electrical conductivity 1724 to 3460 µS cm significant decrease by 91.9% total organic (TOC) 3700 298 mg . Steam activation increases area, porosity, stability redox reversibility pyrochar. Therefore, steam‐activated performed well MFCs due high observed.