BIO-CHAR PRODUCTION AND ITS APPLICATIONS

A stable form of charcoal Produced from heating natural organic materials (crop and other waste, woodchips, manure) in a high temperature, low oxygen process known as pyrolysis More difficult to break down Can remain stable in soil for hundreds to thousands of years Biochar via pyrolysis also yields bioenergy in the form of synthesis gas (syngas)

Charcoal made from biomass Fine-grained charcoal produced from pyrolysis Differentiates biochar from charcoal is its purpose; it is produced as an additive to soils, mainly to improve nutrient retention and carbon storage

Chemical and physical properties of a biochar are greatly affected by - type of material being used - conditions of the pyrolysis process Biochar from manure have a higher nutrient content than biochar from wood Biochar from the wood - more stable over a longer period of time Biochars produced at higher temperatures (700C compared to 400C) are more porous and more adsorptive

High soil organic matter Nutrient holding capacity Improved water retention Beneficial soil microbial activity Enhanced fertility Stable carbon structure

Biomass being fed into a pyrolysis kiln

Two main products 1) Biochar - 50 per cent of the carbon content of the biomass 2) Biofuel - often syngas, which is a mixture of mainly hydrogen and carbon monoxide, with a little carbon dioxide

Pyrolysis - below 700C Fast pyrolysis - oils and liquids Slower pyrolysis - syngas Minimising the oxygen - production of biochar

Pit kiln Mound kiln Brick kiln TPI (Transportable metal kiln) Missouritype charcoal kiln

Terra preta is excellent soil with high presence of charcoal (biochar).

Kiln Type Pit Mound Brick TPI

Charcoal Yield* (%) 12.5 30 2 42 12.5 33 18.9 31.4

Missouri

33
* char = (M char / M bio) x 100

Kammen, D. M., and Lew, D. J. (2005) Review of technologies for the production and use of charcoal, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, Berkeley University, March 1, http://rael.berkeley.edu/files/2005/Kammen-Lew-Charcoal-2005.pdf, accessed November 17, 2007.

CO (g kg-1) Uncontrolled 160-179 batch Low control batch Controlled continuous 24-27

CH4 (g kg-1) 44-57

NMHC1 (g kg-1) 7-60

TSP2 (g kg-1) 197-598

6.6-8.6

1-9

27-89

8.0-8.9

2.2-2.9

0.4-3.0

9.1-30

1 NMHC nonmethane hydrocarbons (includes recoverable methanol and acetic acid) 2 TSP total suspended particulates
Shafizadeh, Fred, 1982, Chemistry of pyrolysis and combustion of wood, in Sarkanen, K.V., Tillman, D.A., and Jahns, E.C., eds., Progress in biomass conversion: London, Academic Press, p. 5176.

Mode

Conditions

Liqui d % 75 50

Char Gas % % 12 20 35 10 13 30 35 85

Fast Moderate Slow gasification

Moderate temperature ~ 500C short vapour residence time ~ 1 s moderate temperature ~ 500C moderate vapour residence time ~ 10-20 s

moderate temperature ~ 500C 30 very long vapour residence time ~ 5-30 min high temperature > 750C moderate vapour residence time ~ 10-20 s 5

Half-life of biochar is ~1400 years.

Yang, H., Yan, R., Chen, H., Lee, D. H., and Zheng, C. (2007) Characteristics ofhemicellulose, cellulose and lignin pyrolysis Fuel 86, 1781-1788

Constant heating rate (10C/min) with N (99.9995%) sweep gas at 120 ml/min

Mok, W. S. L.; Antal, M. J. Effects of Pressure on Biomass Pyrolysis. II. Heats of Reaction of Cellulose Pyrolysis. Thermochim. Acta1983, 68, 165.

Elemental Carbon
C (solid)
Activated charcoal Regular charcoal Graphite Carbon black (soot) Coke (from coal)

Oxide gases C + O
CO & CO2

Biomolecules
C+H+O

Hydrocarbons
C+H

Coal, oil, gases

Carbohydrates, Sugars, Cellulose, Lignin, & much more in living and dead biomass.

Elemental Carbon
C (solid)
Activated charcoal Regular charcoal Graphite Carbon black (soot) Coke (from coal)

Add Oxygen:

Gasification & combustion

Add Oxygen:

Oxide gases C + O
CO & CO2
Add H2O and

Decay
Carbonization / Pyrolysis:

photosynthesis by plants

Hydrocarbon s C+H
Coal, oil, gases

Create charcoal & liberate gases

Loose Oxygen:

Biomolecule s C+H+O
Carbohydrates, Sugars, Cellulose, Lignin, & much more in living and dead biomass.

Become fossil fuels

Wood, consists of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin Hemicellulose gasifies at 250 300C Cellulose splits into char and volatiles between 300 and 450C Lignin splits into char and volatiles between 300 and 750C Volatilization cools the remaining solid, but the gases burn and generate radiant heat (yellow to blue light) Eventually, oxygen can react with the remaining char to make CO2, H2O and ash, plus more heat (red light)

The combustion flame (C) burns gases and provides heat to sustain pyrolysis (P). Ash is held in the charcoal until G (char-gasification) releases it. When C goes out, visible smoke shows condensing gases.

CHEMICAL CHANGES AS WOOD BECOMES BIOCHAR

Created by photosynthesis using solar energy + CO2 + H2 O

(35 wt %)
57% of carbon 0% +

(40 wt %)
6% + 4% of carbon

(25 wt %)
33% of carbon

Charcoal retains ~ 20% of the weight and 30% of the energy of the biomass, so ~70% of the energy is released as usable vapors

Timelines for Carbon Transformations & Permanence Burn it. Burn it. CO2
200+ years of fossil fuel consumption is Carbon Positive: C+

Biomass
(living and dead)
100 million years ( C- )

Natural short-term cycle of growth and decay (including biomass burning) is Carbon Neutral: C=

Fossil Fuels

Storing carbon is Carbon Negative: C-

100 minutes ( C)

Biocarbon
as long-

Biochar in Soils
Hundreds or thousands of years term carbon sequestration: C-

Optional human activity, creating Terra Preta

Burn it. 200+ years of fossil fuel consumption is Carbon Positive: in enormous proportions!!!

CO2

Burn it. Natural short-term cycle of growth and decay (including biomass burning) is Carbon Neutral: C=

C+

Biomass

(living and dead)

100 million years ( C- ) Storing carbon is Carbon Negative: C100 minutes ( C)

Fossil Fuels

Biocarbon

Biochar in Soils

Optional human activity, creating Terra Preta!!!

Hundreds or thousands of years as longterm carbon sequestration:

C-

Source: McLaughlin, Anderson, Shields & Reed (2009). All Biochars Are Not Created Equalterrapreta.bioenergylists.org

Chart of Potential Sources of Biochar

Type => Issue

Application

Incidental

Traditional

Gasifier

Other Modern Industrial Processes

Fire Residual
Fireplace Forest fire Incineration

Lump Charcoal
Primitive kilns

Biomass to Energy
Downdraft Updraft Top-Lit UpDraft

By or Coproduct
Traditional retort Specialized retort Fast Pyrolysis

Sole product
Biocarbon for energy Biochar for soil Bio-Gas & Bio-Oil

Description (Highly generalized)

Modern kilns
Oxic = limited oxygen and Anoxic = no oxygen Yes. Established product for cooking

(TLUD)
Oxic Anoxic (usually) Anoxic and Oxic

Oxygen?

Oxic - Uncontrolled

Commercia l for biochar?

No. Basically destructive.

Biochar is NOT the primary objective.

Initial efforts & biochar is NOT the primary goal

Initial efforts

Continuous feed pyrolyzers to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution emissions associated with batch kilns Exothermic operation without air infiltration to improve energy efficiency and biochar yields Recovery of coproducts to reduce pollution emissions and improve process economics Control of operating conditions to improve biochar properties and allow changes in coproduct yields Feedstock flexibility allowing both woody and herbaceous biomass to be converted to biochar

Popularized by its potential role in climate change mitigation Preventing the release of the carbon back into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide gas To the agricultural sector and to various types of waste management Its production process co-generates biofuel, a sustainable renewable energy source

Agricultural in two ways: soil improvement and animal and crop waste disposal Reduces the weight and volume of the feedstock, and by operating above 350C, it also removes potential pathogens that can be a problem if directly applied to soils

In three ways

The storage of carbon over long periods The reduction of greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) The production of renewable energy

Retaining nutrients and cation exchange capacity Decreasing soil acidity Decreased uptake of soil toxins Improving soil structure Nutrient use efficiency Water-holding capacity Decreasing releases of non-CO2 greenhouse gases

Capturing carbon emissions, also known as sequestration Net decrease of carbon in the atmosphere

SUMMARY

There is something about abundant charcoal in soils that can be highly beneficial to plants The benefits last for at least hundreds of years Biochar has potential for improving soils and feeding people, especially where soils are weak ONLY possible with charcoal NOT by putting coal dust into soils NOT by adding manure or other organic material Charcoal is made by the thermal transformation of biological matter, mainly carbohydrates Plant biomass seems to create the best biochar both woods and grasses

All biochars are not equal both starting biomass and carbonization conditions influence the final biochar properties Global warming can be debated, but the increase in atmospheric CO2 levels is clearly measured and due to human activities The earth is very capable of existing with much higher CO2 levels, but our current human society probably could not The only current reasonable method for human action to remove significant amounts of atmospheric CO2 is through biochar for carbon sequestration Traditional charcoal kilns are unsuitable for biochar production (too inefficient and polluting) Modern processes will produce several coproducts (biochar, biooil, syngas) Opportunities for controlling yields of coproducts and properties of biochars in an environmentally sustainable manner

Is all biochar the same? - 80 different biochars shows a large range in chemical, physical and biological properties, which in turn effect the agronomic characteristics of biochars How stable is biochar? - suggest that most biochars remain stable in soil for centuries and millennia Is biochar safe to use? - production and handling by a licensed producer and from clean feedstock is safe to use within the agreed standards of application What are the agronomic benefits? - beneficial effects on crop productivity through increased nutrient use efficiency, increased water-holding capacity and decreased bulk density