The biorefinery of pistachio shell (PS) for producing microcrystalline cellulose (MC), microcrystalline nitrocellulose (MNC), and biochar (PSB) was techno-economically assessed. A rapid recyclable nitric acid treatment purely isolated 32–41 % of PS as MC particles (crystallinity index of 86 %) at 80 °C for 90 min. A facile synthesis obtained MNC particles (crystallinity index of 79 %) with a nitrogen content of 10.81 % from the MC. The PSB with the HHV value of 27.82 MJ/kg and 24 % production yield was achieved as biocoal via pyrolysis at 400 °C for 30 min. The incorporation of sulfuric acid pre-dehydration with pyrolysis temperature and time improved the PSB yield up to 28 %, while lowering the HHV to 24.12 MJ/kg. The NPV, IRR, ROI, and payback time indicated that the MC and MNC production from PS could make them suitable for future commercialization; however, the PSB production was not profitable because it could not compete with coal.

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