Coffee grounds turn into fuel in just 90 seconds, eliminating the need for drying, removing sulfur compounds, and generating biochar with energy similar to anthracite coal in a process created by scientists in South Korea.

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 19/06/2026 at 21:38

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Coffee grounds, usually treated as waste difficult to reuse due to moisture, were converted by KIGAM researchers into an energy biocoal, without prior drying, in less than two minutes, with performance comparable to anthracite coal.

Wet coffee grounds can cease to be just a problematic waste and turn into high-performance biocoal in up to 90 seconds, thanks to a plasma process developed by researchers at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, KIGAM.

Coffee grounds become fuel without drying

The advancement tackles one of the most expensive obstacles in biomass recycling: the water present in organic material. In many technologies, wet residues need to be dried before conversion, which increases energy consumption, time, and operational cost.

In the system created by KIGAM, this step is eliminated. The technology, called Flame Plasma Pyrolysis, uses plasma flames generated by the combustion of liquefied petroleum gas and compressed air.

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Moisture helps in the so-called “popcorn effect”

The most unusual point of the process is that moisture does not hinder the conversion. It participates in the transformation. When the water trapped in the coffee particles quickly turns into vapor, the internal pressure increases.

This movement causes micro-explosions in the structure of the residue, a phenomenon described by the researchers as the “popcorn effect.” The ruptures increase the porosity of the material, break the biomass structure, and accelerate carbonization.

Under optimized conditions, complete conversion occurred in just 90 seconds. Thus, a residue that would normally require prior preparation is treated directly and more quickly.

Biocoal has performance close to anthracite coal

The biocoal produced from coffee grounds showed a calorific value of 29.0 MJ/kg, about 33% higher than the untreated material. The result was considered similar to the performance of anthracite coal.

Another relevant data point is in the fixed carbon. The content almost tripled, going from 15.6% to 46.2%. At the same time, the treatment completely removed sulfur compounds, which helps to avoid sulfur dioxide emissions during combustion.

The structure of the material also changed significantly. The specific surface area increased, forming a highly porous carbonaceous product, with potential use beyond burning as fuel.

Use can go beyond renewable energy

Based on the observed characteristics, biochar can also serve as a base for activated carbon, filtration systems, and industrial adsorption materials. The process also generated little smoke and tar compared to conventional biomass treatments.

Speed is another differential. Hydrothermal carbonization systems usually take from one to six hours, while torrefaction can require 30 minutes or more. Plasma pyrolysis completes the transformation in less than two minutes.

Although the study used coffee grounds, researchers are considering applying the technology to food waste, sewage sludge, and agricultural leftovers. The study was published in the Chemical Engineering Journal.

What do you think of this type of solution to transform common waste into energy and industrial materials? Coffee grounds, found in homes, cafes, and businesses, could gain another value if such technologies reach commercial scale? Leave your opinion in the comments.

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Coffee grounds turn into fuel in just 90 seconds, eliminating the need for drying, removing sulfur compounds, and generating biochar with energy similar to anthracite coal in a process created by scientists in South Korea.

Coffee grounds, usually treated as waste difficult to reuse due to moisture, were converted by KIGAM researchers into an energy biocoal, without prior drying, in less than two minutes, with performance comparable to anthracite coal.

Coffee grounds become fuel without drying

Moisture helps in the so-called “popcorn effect”

Biocoal has performance close to anthracite coal

Use can go beyond renewable energy

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Coffee grounds turn into fuel in just 90 seconds, eliminating the need for drying, removing sulfur compounds, and generating biochar with energy similar to anthracite coal in a process created by scientists in South Korea.

Coffee grounds, usually treated as waste difficult to reuse due to moisture, were converted by KIGAM researchers into an energy biocoal, without prior drying, in less than two minutes, with performance comparable to anthracite coal.

Coffee grounds become fuel without drying

Moisture helps in the so-called “popcorn effect”

Biocoal has performance close to anthracite coal

Use can go beyond renewable energy

Libya built over 4,000 kilometers of underground pipelines to bring water from the Sahara to coastal cities in a project that the government itself called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Desert sand, previously discarded for being too smooth for concrete, becomes an ecological brick in the United Arab Emirates, dispensing with Portland cement, curing at room temperature, and attempting to transform dunes useless for construction into raw material for a new arid engineering.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

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China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

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