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Influence Of Pyrolysis Temperature And Production Conditions On Switchgrass Biochar For Use As A Soil Amendment, Amanda Joy Ashworth, Samy Sadaka, Fred L. Allen, Mahmoud A. Sharara, Patrick D. Keyser
Influence Of Pyrolysis Temperature And Production Conditions On Switchgrass Biochar For Use As A Soil Amendment, Amanda Joy Ashworth, Samy Sadaka, Fred L. Allen, Mahmoud A. Sharara, Patrick D. Keyser
Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works
Biochars form recalcitrant carbon and increase water and nutrient retention in soils; however, the magnitude is contingent upon production conditions and thermo-chemical conversion processes. Herein we aim at (i) characterizing switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)-biochar morphology, (ii) estimating water-holding capacity under increasing ratios of char: soil; and, (iii) determining nutrient profile variation as a function of pyrolysis conversion methodologies (i.e. continuous, auger pyrolysis system versus batch pyrolysis systems) for terminal use as a soil amendment. Auger system chars produced at 600 °C had the greatest lignin portion by weight among the biochars produced from the continuous system. On …
Characterization Of Biochar From Switchgrass Carbonization, Samy Sadaka, Mahmoud A. Sharara, Amanda Ashworth, Patrick D. Keyser, Fred Allen, Andrew Wright
Characterization Of Biochar From Switchgrass Carbonization, Samy Sadaka, Mahmoud A. Sharara, Amanda Ashworth, Patrick D. Keyser, Fred Allen, Andrew Wright
UT Extension publication
Switchgrass is a high yielding, low-input intensive, native perennial grass that has been promoted as a major second-generation bioenergy crop. Raw switchgrass is not a readily acceptable feedstock in existing power plants that were built to accommodate coal and peat. The objective of this research was to elucidate some of the characteristics of switchgrass biochar produced via carbonization and to explore its potential use as a solid fuel. Samples were carbonized in a batch reactor under reactor temperatures of 300, 350 and 400 °C for 1, 2 and 3 h residence times. Biochar mass yield and volatile solids decreased from …