5.9(Q2)
CiteScore
31
h-index

Characterization of Liquid Smoke Made from Cocoa Pod Husk and Corn Cobs Mixture by Slow Pyrolysis

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia

2 Department of Social Economics of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia

3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia

4 Department of Chemistry, Universitas Syekh Yusuf Al Makassari, Gowa, Indonesia

5 Department of Indonesia Languages, Faculty of Languages and Literature, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia

6 Department of Natural Sciences, Asy-Syathiby School, Gowa, Indonesia

10.48309/ajca.2026.565886.2001
Abstract
This study investigated the pyrolysis of mixed cocoa pod husk (CPH) and corn cob (CC) biomass and the chemical characteristics of the resulting liquid smoke. Three biomass mixtures from different geographic origins were evaluated. The biomass mixtures investigated were: (i) cocoa pod husk from Luwu combined with corn cob from Jeneponto (Mixture A); (ii) cocoa pod husk from Wajo combined with corn cob from Gowa (Mixture B); and (iii) cocoa pod husk from Sidrap combined with corn cob from Takalar (Mixture C). Pyrolysis at 228 °C produced the highest liquid yields for Mixture A (39.93%), Mixture B (40.07%), and Mixture C (39.94%). GC–MS analysis revealed that the liquid smoke consisted mainly of organic acids, phenolic compounds, and carbonyl compounds, along with smaller amounts of furans, alcohols, pyridines, and nitrogen-containing compounds. Distinct variations in chemical composition were observed among the liquid smoke samples derived from the different biomass mixtures. These results demonstrate that mixed CPH and CC biomass can be effectively converted via pyrolysis into chemically rich liquid smoke, indicating strong potential for biomass waste valorization.

Graphical Abstract

Characterization of Liquid Smoke Made from Cocoa Pod Husk and Corn Cobs Mixture by Slow Pyrolysis

Keywords

Subjects


OPEN ACCESS

©2026 The author(s). This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

PUBLISHER NOTE

Sami Publishing Company remains neutral concerning jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

CURRENT PUBLISHER

Sami Publishing Company

[1] Mlonka-Mędrala, A., Evangelopoulos, P., Sieradzka, M., Zajemska, M., Magdziarz, A. Pyrolysis of agricultural waste biomass towards production of gas fuel and high-quality char: Experimental and numerical investigations. Fuel, 2021, 296, 120611.
[3] Amalina, F., Abd Razak, A.S., Krishnan, S., Sulaiman, H., Zularisam, A.Nasrullah, M. Biochar production techniques utilizing biomass waste-derived materials and environmental applications–a review. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 2022, 7, 100134.
[4] Ungureanu, N., Vlăduț, N.-V., Biriș, S.-Ș., Gheorghiță, N.-E., Ionescu, M. Biomass pyrolysis pathways for renewable energy and sustainable resource recovery: A critical review of processes, parameters, and product valorization. Sustainability, 2025, 17(17), 7806.
[5] Cao, L., Zhang, C., Chen, H., Tsang, D.C., Luo, G., Zhang, S., Chen, J. Hydrothermal liquefaction of agricultural and forestry wastes: State-of-the-art review and future prospects. Bioresource Technology, 2017, 245, 1184–1193.
[6] Talwar, P., Agudelo, M.A., Nanda, S. Pyrolysis process, reactors, products, and applications: A review. Energies, 2025, 18(11), 2979.
[7] Sharma, T., Hakeem, I.G., Gupta, A.B., Joshi, J., Shah, K., Vuppaladadiyam, A.K., Sharma, A. Parametric influence of process conditions on thermochemical techniques for biochar production: A state-of-the-art review. Journal of the Energy Institute, 2024, 113, 101559.
[8] Faisal, M., Mansur, D., Desvita, H., Heriansyah, M.B. Liquid smoke-infused edible coatings : Antimicrobial agents for preserving cherry tomatoes. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 2025, 11, 101091.
[9] Desvita, H., Faisal, M., Mahidin, M. Natural antimicrobial properties of liquid smoke derived from cocoa pod shells in meatball preservation. South African Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2023, 46(1), 106–111.
[10] Brustolin, A.P., Soares, J.M., Muraro, K., Schwert, R., Steffens, C., Cansian, R.L., Valduga, E. Investigating antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of liquid smoke and physical‐chemical stability of bacon subjected to liquid smoke and conventional smoking. Journal of Food Science, 2024, 89(11), 7217–7227.
[11] Swastika, D.K.S., Priyanti, A., Hasibuan, A.M., Sahara, D., Arya, N.N., Malik, A., Ilham, N., Sayekti, A.L., Triastono, J., Asnawi, R. Pursuing circular economics through the integrated crop-livestock systems: An integrative review on practices, strategies and challenges post green revolution in indonesia. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 2024, 18, 101269.
[12] Wijaya, M., Alam, M.N., Wiharto, M. Characterization of liquid smoke and charcoal from cocoa Pod husks (theobroma cacao L.) in north kolaka regency. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 2024, 10(12), 10417–10425.
[13] Harti, S., Indriati, A., Dyah, S. Utilization of liquid smoke from cocoa pod husk (Theobroma cocoa L) for germination of red seed (Capsicum annum L). Asian Journal of Applied Sciences, 2020, 8(1), 1–11.
[14] Wang, L., Yi, W., Zhang, A., Li, Z., Cai, H., Li, Y. Catalytic fast pyrolysis of corn stalk for phenols production with solid catalysts. Frontiers in Energy Research, 2019, 7, 86.
[15] Hu, E., Tian, Y., Yang, Y., Dai, C., Li, M., Li, C., Shao, S. Pyrolysis behaviors of corn stover in new two-stage rotary kiln with baffle. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 2022, 161, 105398.
[16] Zhou, H., Shen, Y., Zhang, N., Liu, Z., Bao, L., Xia, Y. Wood fiber biomass pyrolysis solution as a potential tool for plant disease management: A review. Heliyon, 2024, 10(3), e25509.
[17] Al-Rumaihi, A., Shahbaz, M., Mckay, G., Mackey, H., Al-Ansari, T. A review of pyrolysis technologies and feedstock: A blending approach for plastic and biomass towards optimum biochar yield. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2022, 167, 112715.
[18] Eke, J., Onwudili, J.A., Bridgwater, A.V. Influence of moisture contents on the fast pyrolysis of trommel fines in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor. Waste and Biomass Valorization, 2020, 11(7), 3711–3722.
[19] Chistie, S.M., Naik, S.U., Rajendra, P., Apeksha, Mishra, R.K., Albasher, G., Chinnam, S., Jeppu, G.P., Arif, Z., Hameed, J. Production and characterization of magnetic biochar derived from pyrolysis of waste areca nut husk for removal of methylene blue dye from wastewater. Scientific Reports, 2025, 15(1).
[20] Villardon, A., Alcazar-Ruiz, A., Dorado, F., Sanchez-Silva, L. Enhancing carbon dioxide uptake in biochar derived from husk biomasses: Optimizing biomass particle size and steam activation conditions. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2024, 12(5), 113352.
[21] Bolan, S., Hou, D., Wang, L., Hale, L., Egamberdieva, D., Tammeorg, P., Li, R., Wang, B., Xu, J., Wang, T. The potential of biochar as a microbial carrier for agricultural and environmental applications. Science of the Total Environment, 2023, 886, 163968.
[24] Cheng, J., Hu, S.-C., Kang, K., Li, X.-M., Geng, Z.-C., Zhu, M.-Q. The effects of pyrolysis temperature and storage time on the compositions and properties of the pyroligneous acids generated from cotton stalk based on a polygeneration process. Industrial Crops and Products, 2021, 161, 113226.
[27] El-Sayed, S.A., Khass, T.M., Mostafa, M.E. Thermal degradation behaviour and chemical kinetic characteristics of biomass pyrolysis using TG/DTG/DTA techniques. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 2024, 14(15), 17779–17803.
[28] Adfa, M., Romayasa, A., Kusnanda, A.J., Avidlyandi, A., YUDHA S, S., Banon, C., Gustian, I. Chemical components, antitermite and antifungal activities of cinnamomum parthenoxylon wood vinegar. Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology, 2020, 48(1), 107–116.
[29] Oramahi, H.A., Tindaon, M.J., Nurhaida, N., Diba, F., Yanti, H. Termicidal activity and chemical components of wood vinegar from nipah fruit against coptotermes curvignathus. Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology, 2022, 50(5), 315–324.
[30] Suprianto, A., Oramahi, H.A., Farah, D., Hardiansyah, G., Anwari, M.S. The antitermitic and antifungal activities and composition of vinegar from durian wood (durio sp.). Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology, 2023, 51(4), 283–294.

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 February 2026

  • Receive Date 13 December 2025
  • Revise Date 03 February 2026
  • Accept Date 11 February 2026