Production of char from vacuum pyrolysis of South-African sugar cane bagasse and its characterization as activated carbon and biochar

► Vacuum pyrolysis has the potential to produce high quality chars from sugarcane bagasse for wastewater treatment and soil amendment with no further upgrading required. ► The chemical nature of the vacuum pyrolysis char resulted in a slightly acidic surface (pH 6.56) when other biochars are usually quite alkaline. ► This char can be considered as a highly beneficial soil amendment, as it would enhance soil nutrient and water holding capacity, due to its high cation exchange capacity and high surface area.