# Innovative Vaporization of Wood Panel Waste into Activated Biochar for Efficient Phenol Adsorption
## 1 Introduction
Biochar, a byproduct of biomass pyrolysis in an oxygen-free environment, is a potent adsorbent thanks to its exceptional physicochemical properties. Its high porosity (with a specific surface area of up to 1500 m\({}^{2}\)/g), modular carbon structure, and ability to trap organic contaminants via \(\pi\)-\(\pi\) interactions and hydrogen bonds make it an excellent choice for water decontamination [19; 20; 21]. Recent studies have demonstrated its effectiveness for phenol removal, particularly after chemical activation (e.g., with KOH) or after physical activation via CO\({}_{2}\) gas treatment. Under optimized conditions (pH 6, temperature 25 \({}^{\circ}\)C, initial phenol concentration 100 mg/L, biochar dosage 0.5 g/L of solution, contact time 480 min), adsorption capacities up to 458.9 mg/g were obtained [22]. Recently, CO\({}_{2}\)-activated wheat straw biochar pretreated with acid washing achieved 471.2 mg/g adsorption capacity under optimized conditions: pH 6.55, temperature 25 \({}^{\circ}\)C, initial phenol concentration 2500 mg/L, contact time 240 min, and adsorbent dosage 1 g/L [23]. Bamboo-derived nitrogen-doped magnetic porous hydrochar co-activated with K\({}_{2}\)FeOand CaCO\({}_{3}\) efficiently removed phenol from aqueous media. Under optimized conditions (initial phenol concentration 200 mg/L, pH 6, temperature 25 \({}^{\circ}\)C, contact time 480 min, adsorbent dosage 0.5 g/L), 211.7 mg/g adsorption capacity was achieved [24]. [PERSON] et al. [25] prepared almond-shell biochar modified with both KOH and EDTA-4 Na (mass ratio 1:1:3, pyrolysis at 750 \({}^{\circ}\)C). Under key experimental conditions (initial phenol 400 mg/L, 1 g/L adsorbent dosage, 25 \({}^{\circ}\)C, 60 min), 161 mg/g adsorption capacity for synthetic solutions was obtained, with 149 mg/g for actual coal-chemical wastewater. With performance comparable to commercial activated carbon, these biochars offer more sustainable and less expensive alternatives. However, the biochar research focuses mainly on agricultural biomass (e.g., rice or wheat straw residues) or forest biomass (e.g., virgin wood chips) while overlooking the potential of WPW [26, 27]. Meanwhile, despite its high cellulose (40-60%) and lignin (-30%) content and its abundance, WPW remains an under-exploited source for synthesized high-performance biochar [28]. Notably, while agricultural residues such as rice husks typically contain only 15-20% lignin [29, 30], WPW exhibits a substantially higher lignin content at around 30% [31]. Therefore, beyond conventional agricultural biomass, WPW could be used to produce biochar with enhanced carbon yield, aromaticity, and structural stability. Thus, WPW valorization presents a promising pathway for producing advanced adsorbent materials for environmental applications. This study aims to address the knowledge gap in this area by evaluating the effectiveness of biochar derived from wood panel waste (WPW) to adsorb phenol at variable concentrations. The synthesis parameters of particular interest are the pyrolysis temperature and its impact on the adsorption mechanisms, including Langmuir or Freundlich isotherms and pseudo-second-order kinetics. This study adopts a circular economy framework for a twofold benefit: less WPW deposited in landfills and economical and sustainable water decontamination solutions. This approach aligns with the objectives of Quebec's green economy, particularly the 2030 Quebec Green Hydrogen and Bioenergy Strategy (_Strategie quebecoise sur l'hydrogene vert et les bioenergies 2030_) [32], which aims to ensure optimum use of local natural and energy resources and to develop new energy sectors, including \"diversified residual biomass distribution\" to address environmental concerns.