Engineering Commons^™

Off-Gassing Of Charred Pellets During Storage, Shahab Sokhansanj, C. J. Lim, Sudhagar Mani

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

The off-gassing tests for six types of charred pellets: canola straw, willow, bagasse, wheat straw, switchgrass and miscanthus, were conducted at room temperature 25±2 °C in sealed storage containers. Pairs of 2-litre sealable glass containers were filled with 800 g of each sample to approximately 75% of the container volume. One container contained charred pelles. The other container contained uncharred (untreated pellets). The two glass containers were sampled in alternate weeks for CO2, CO, O2, and CH4.

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Which Policy For Biochar Deployment In Southern Eu? An Integrated Approach Is Possible, David Chiaramonti

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

The scope of the present paper is to address possible policy schemes that could potentially enable widespread diffusion of biochar in the EU Mediterranean area. In fact, despite the rapid development of biochar technologies and processes, the actual exploitation is mostly dependent on the actual support scheme that is in place. However, one single support instrument will unlikely be sufficient to cover the costs connected to biochar production and use: moreover, developing totally new policy instruments is a very long and time consuming process. The approach of the present work is to investigate the possibility of combining different EU policies …

Thermal Evolution Of Biochar And Its Physicochemical Properties During Hydrothermal Gasification, Sonil Nanda, Ajay K. Dalai, Franco Berruti, Janusz A. Kozinski

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Biochar is a recalcitrant carbonaceous material obtained from pyrolysis and gasification of biomass and other biogenic wastes. Some of the promising biochar applications to be discussed in this presentation includes char gasification and combustion for energy production, soil remediation, carbon sequestration, catalysis, and development of activated carbon and specialty materials with biomedical and industrial uses. Several factors such as pyrolysis/gasification temperature, heating rates and residence time are the limiting factors that determine the biochar properties such as fixed carbon, volatile matter, mineral matter, surface area, porosity and pore size distribution, alkalinity, electrical conductivity, cation-exchange capacity, etc. This paper will comprehensively …

Autothermal Biochar Production And Characterization At Pilot Scale, Andrea M. Rizzo, Marco Pettorali, Lorenzo Bettuci, Giulia Lotti, Renato Nistri, David Chiaramonti

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

The present work reports on the results from the validation campaign of an autothermal pilot carbonization unit (CarbON) and on the characterization of the produced biochar and pyrolysis vapors. The proposed pilot plant leverages the simplicity and effectiveness of autothermal operations together with open top, downdraft design, to bring to the small scale the performance of larger installations. In autothermal operation, heat for the process is internally provided by combusting part of the feedstock and evolved volatiles inside the reactor, the so called “oxidative pyrolysis”.

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Biochar Production Through Slow Pyrolysis Of Different Biomass Materials: Seeking The Best Operating Conditions, Joan J. Manyà, Manuel Azuara, José A. Manso

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

In the last years, special attention has been focused on analyzing the effect of pyrolysis conditions (mainly peak temperature) on the yield and properties of produced biochar. Given that the nature of biomass plays a key role in the pyrolysis process, it becomes really difficult to establish generic trends and correlations, which can be used for any biomass feedstock to predict the properties of derived biochar. Thus, more experimental studies focused on a given biomass source are still needed with the aim of providing reliable data for further research goals. In addition, a number of techniques have been proposed to …

Evaluating The Potential Of Biochar For Reducing Bioavailable Heavy Metal Fractions In Polluted Soil, Rosa I. Soria, Raisa Tjarinto, Stephen A. Rolfe, Steven F. Thornton

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Previous studies have proposed biochar as a natural adsorbent material with potential to be used in the remediation of polluted soils. Its application for adsorption of pollutants may reduce the bioavailability of harmful compounds in the soil media by limiting its chemical distribution and reducing the risk of uptake by organisms. Therefore, biochar has been suggested for the attenuation of heavy metals (HMs) in soil, minimizing the possibility of accumulation through the trophic chain (Figure ).

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Evaluation Of The Environmental Benefits Of Biochar Addition Into Concrete-Based Composites, Isabella Bianco, Mauro Giorcelli, Massimo Rovere, Alberto Tagliaferro, Gian Andrea Blengini, Silvia Bobba

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Biochar is a carbon by-product obtained from a termochemical conversion of biomass. Currently, biochar is generally treated in biomass landfill, representing an economic and environmental cost.

Recent works focus their attention to the use of biochar as an alternative filler to produce more economic and environmental friendly composites. Some studies proved that the introduction of biochar as carbon filler can also increase mechanical [1] or electrical [2] properties. As a consequence, large scale production of composites containing biochar could have important effects both on the economic and environmental point of view.

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Changes In Carbon Structure Distribution And Nanostructure Of Functionalized Biochars, Elsa Weiss-Hortala, Marion Ducousso, Maxime Hervy, Sarah Berhanu, Doan Pham Minh, Anthony Chesnaud, Alain Thorel, Ange Nzihou

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Energetic vectors produced from the thermochemical conversion of biomass and waste is considered as environmental-friendly energy. The syngas composed of CO and H2 at convenient ratio, could be used for various subsequent uses. However the industrial development is hold back by the production of unwanted by-products: tars and biochar/ash (aromatic hydrocarbons and solid residues respectively) which decrease the global efficiency yield and require very costly treatments. Some recent studies investigated potential applications to use these biochars for catalytic or sorbent applications, such as catalytic tar cracking or pollutants removal [1]. Biochars are cheap candidates and their functionalization is an opportunity …

Developing Biosensors As Monitoring Tools To Assess The Performance Of Biochar Amended Contaminated Soil, Bastian Saputra, Stephen Rolfe, Steve Thornton

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

The application of biochar as a soil amendment is an emerging technique for low-cost remediation of contaminated soil. The high porosity and large surface area of biochar make it suitable for adsorption of contaminants such as heavy metals (HMs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Adsorption reduces the bio-availability of contaminants to soil microorganisms thus potentially increasing soil function and productivity. Many different biochars are available which differ in key properties such as contaminant adsorption and stability. To assess biochar performance as a soil amendment we will develop bacterial biosensors to measure contaminant bioavailability and toxicity at a cellular level. Biosensors …

Biochar From Microwave Pyrolysis Of Selected Feedstocks, Tanisha M. Dreise, Daya R. Nhuchhen, Muhammad T. Afzal

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

This is a brief summary of work carried out by a team of researchers to produce biochar using microwave pyrolysis system developed at Bioenergy, Bioproducts Research Lab (BBRL), at UNB. Various feedstocks such as corn stalk, spruce, maple, switchgrass, and wood pellets were used to produce biochar. A batch type microwave reactor with a frequency of 2.45 GHz and a power generator of 3 kW was used in the pyrolysis experiments. The amount of biochar obtained depends on the microwave pyrolysis conditions and type of feedstock. For corn stalk briquettes, the yield of biochar ranged from 30.9 to 41.1 wt%. …

A Three-Stage Thermochemical Conversion Process For The Production Of Biochar, Alessandro Scova, Vander Tumiatti, Francesco Lenzi

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Within a French consortium of four companies and five laboratories from two scientific groups, Sea Marconi is one of the industrial partners of the LORVER project (www.lorver.org). The project aims at the sustainable redevelopment of brownfield deriving from the deindustrialization of the Lorraine region (France) by soil reconstruction, cultivation of different non-food biomasses and their final conversion into valuable outputs (biochar, bioenergy, natural fibers, metals).

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Carbon Sequestration Using Bio-Refinery Residues, Ondřej Mašek

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Biomass consists of four main constituents, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and minerals. The first two, are the key targets for various conversion processes producing biofuels and chemicals, leaving behind different forms of lignin, depending on extraction process used.

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The Effects Of Biochar As A Soil Amendment On Soil Quality And Plant Growth, Ok-Youn Yu

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Biochar is a stable form of recalcitrant carbon created by heating biomass in a low or no oxygen environment. When used as a soil amendment, biochar forms a dynamic substrate which provides numerous benefits, including increasing nutrient availability, increasing soil water retention, improving crop yield, and sequestering carbon for hundreds to thousands of years. However, biochar's effectiveness largely depends on the biomass feedstock and the soil to which it is applied. Individual biochars made from different feedstocks perform differently against each other, and the magnitudes of their effects can be dependent on many factors within the soil. Testing different feedstocks …

Investigation Of Innovative And Conventional Pyrolysis Of Ligneous And Herbaceous Biomasses For Biochar Production, Marina Morando, Silvia Fiore, Cedric Briens, Franco Berruti

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process involving the thermolysis of carbon-based materials in absence of an oxidizing agent. Adjusting the operating conditions, in order to maximize the gaseous, liquid or solid products, may optimize pyrolysis process. This work investigates the performances of three laboratory-scale reactors on the grounds of the quantity and quality of the biochar obtained from different biomasses. Three types of biomass were fed to each reactor: two ligneous (rubberwood and eucalyptus) and one herbaceous (Phragmites australis). A novel reactor developed at ICFAR, the Jiggled Bed Reactor (JBR) was employed in slow pyrolysis mode.

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How To Produce A Potential High Value Bio-Char From The Worst Invasive Plant In Canada, Chiara Barbiero, Franco Berruti, Cedric Briens

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Phragmites Australis is a perennial plant, native to Eurasia, which is spreading worldwide, increasing fire hazards, and causing damage to wildlife and its surrounding habitat. Phragmites is classified as Canada’s worst invasive plant due to the difficulty of achieving its full eradication. Phragmites plants are fast growing and can spread quickly through seeds or rhizomes. They must be processed locally to destroy seeds and rhizomes. For these reasons, mobile pyrolysis was selected as a destruction method that provides valuable bio-char. The aim of this work is to study the effect of different pre-treatment and post-treatment strategies on bio-char characteristics, such …

Biochar For Pollutant Removal From Aqueous Solutions, Hamid Trimech, Anastasia Colomba, Franco Berruti, Raffaella Ocone

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Biochar can be utilised to transfer carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into soils. It can also be used for soil enhancement, due to its attitude to hold water and retain nutrients in soil by adsorbing NH4+ and PO43- ions. Due to its adsorbing capacity, biochar finds applications in removal of pollutants such as ammonia, mercury and organic compounds from waste water.

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Characterization Of Biochar Pore Structure With X-Ray Tomography, Jari Hyväluoma, Jaakko Heikkinen, Sampo Kulju, Markus Hannula, Hanne Wikberg, Anssi Källi, Kimmo Rasa

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Biochar use as soil amendment can influence both physical and chemical properties of soil. The effects of biochar depend on the raw material from which biochar is derived as well as on the used processing technology and process conditions. One commonly highlighted benefit of biochar application is improved water retention properties of soil. Biochar may affect water retention in direct or direct way. In direct mechanism water is stored and held in the biochar pores while in indirect mechanisms biochar contributes to the soil structural development (aggregation).

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Biochar Production And Application In The Intermountain West, Darren Mcavoy

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

The Utah Biomass Resources Group (UBRG) has focused on biochar production and application since 2011. We partner with Amaron Energy of Salt Lake City and have developed mobile pyrolysis technology for in-situ biochar production. We have also initiated field trials of biochar application in mining and agricultural settings.

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Production Of Activated Carbon From Barley Biochar Precursor, Javier Pallarés, Ana González-Cencerrado, Inmaculada Ramos

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Agricultural production must be directed towards "sustainable agriculture", which preserves natural resources, reduces GHG emissions and maintains biodiversity. In this context, biochar is considered a product of great interest in agriculture since several studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in increasing agricultural yields, increasing the water retention capacity and nutrients in the soil, increasing the development of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), and ultimately improving the efficiency of fertilizers, thus reducing their use and reducing enviromental pollution.

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Characteristic Studies On The Waste Biomass-Based Biochars Produced By Fast Pyrolysis, Ramin Azargohar, Sonil Nanda, Janusz A. Kozinski, Ajay K. Dalai, Ronny Sutarto

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Biochar, as carbonaceous product obtained from pyrolysis of biomass, has many applications in diverse areas due to its versatile physicochemical properties. Non-food biomass has a great potential to produce biochars. In the present study, pinewood sawdust (forest residue), wheat straw and flax straw (agricultural residues), and poultry litter (livestock manure) were used as precursors for pyrolysis. Focus of this study was on the effects of fast pyrolysis temperature (400, 475, and 550 ^oC) on the characteristics of biochars produced by means of a mobile pyrolysis unit. Different characterization techniques are used to study the physical, chemical, and structural characteristics …

Arsenic Removal From Drinking Water By Means Of Low Cost Biochars Derived From Miscanthus And Coconut Shell, Tommaso Marengo, Silvia Fiore, Cedric Briens, Franco Berruti

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid highly diffused in groundwater because of natural and anthropogenic factors (mainly deriving from mining activities and pesticides). Inorganic arsenic compounds are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Group I (proven carcinogen). Groundwater concentration of As may vary from 0.5 to 5000 μg/L taking into account more than 70 Countries around the world. The most polluted groundwater of the planet was identified in late 1990s in Bengal delta (Bangladesh and Indian region West Bengal).

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Pyrolytic Temperature Evaluation Of Macauba Biochar For Uranium Adsorption From Aqueous Solutions, Sabine Neusatz Guilhen, Nilce Ortiz, Denise Alves Fungaro, Ondrej Masek

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) is a palm tree native to the tropical regions of America. In Brazil, it is prevalent in the savannah, known as “cerrado”. A valuable natural and renewable source of vegetable oil for food and cosmetic industries (nut oil) and for biodiesel (mesocarp oil), macauba has the potential to become the new “green gold” of Brazil, not only for its oil quality, but because it could solely be destined for commercial purposes, since it doesn’t compete with food market industry such as soybean and sugar cane. The dark stiff part that protects the nut, called “endocarp”, is generated …

Pyrolysis Of Cotton Stalks And Utilization Of Pyrolysis Char For Sustainable Soil Enhancement And Carbon Storage, Sebastian Schaffer, Tobias Pröll, Rafat Al Afif, Christoph Pfeifer

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Worldwide, a large amount of biomass accumulates in the form of ligno-cellulosic agricultural by-products that can neither be efficiently used as animal feed nor as feedstock for anaerobic digestion. A clean and energy-efficient utilization in combustion plants is counter-indicated by high contents of elements like Cl, K and Na that decrease the ash-melting-point and lead to fouling and corrosion. Although this biomass is, therefore, not suitable for conventional combustion plants, a pyrolysis process can be applied that works at lower temperatures of 500-600°C.

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Production Of Biochar And Development Of Predictive Methods For Determining Performance In Value-Added Composite Materials, Douglas Cuthbertson, Franco Berruti, Cedric Briens

Biochar: Production, Characterization and Applications

Current pyrolysis technologies are used for the production of liquid bio-oil, solid biochar, and gases, at temperatures in the range of 400-600 °C in the presence of little or no oxygen. Typically, pyrolysis processes have been investigated with the aim of producing the oil and char for their potential value as sustainable sources of energy and chemicals. Biochar, or biocarbon, the carbonaceous residue remaining after the volatile components have exited the biomass material, has typically been used in low value applications such as soil amendment. However, for pyrolysis technology to become fully established, it remains necessary to extract as much …