1 / 4

Carbon remaining (%)

Biochar Properties. is biochar a nutrient?. is biochar a fertilizer?. In soil, charcoal breaks down very slowly. – not in months, but decades, even centuries. Compost. Pyrolysis. not affected by weathering, oxidation & digestion. 500+°C. 100. Biochar isn ’ t consumed by soil life.

yeva
Download Presentation

Carbon remaining (%)

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Biochar Properties is biochar a nutrient? is biochar a fertilizer? In soil, charcoal breaks down very slowly – not in months, but decades, even centuries Compost Pyrolysis not affected by weathering, oxidation & digestion 500+°C 100 Biochar isn’t consumed by soil life Fresh from a burner, biochar is sterile, with no biological activity – no microbes – and hydrophobic – it repels water Adding only raw charcoal to soil Dr. Johannes Lehman ? 50 retards plant growth 1 or 2 years Centuries? Carbon remaining (%) Biochar Fertilizers must be added with charcoal Millennia? Biochar supplies three important soil services: Uncharred Biomass : Habitat and housing for microbes Sponge : Absorb, hold & conserve soil water 10 Humus Storehouse : Adsorp nutrient ions (C.E.C. & A.E.C.) 5 4 3 2 1 Substrate Years

  2. Biochar Properties Physical Properties • Particle size • Particle size • Surface area • Residence Time • Structural density • Micropore density • Moisture content • Water Absorption • Ion Adsorption • CEC • pH • Microbial Activity • Micropore density • Water Absorption & AEC & AEC • CEC • Microbial Activity

  3. Biochar Properties Particle Size Surface area External:square inches vs. square miles Internal: micropores Varied sizes varied purposes: broadcast, seed drill, potting mix, hydroponics Gravel Rice grain Powder & Dust Water soluble: lowest molecular weight Micronize: Nature’s nanotechnology Brittle: easy to crush Dusty: easily blows away Variable: with feedstock Woody vs. Weedy Screen: separate sizes Intimate mix: at cellular and molecular scales PHOTO: Bob Cirino, University of Delaware S4700 3.0kV 11.9mm x 300 SEM 12/2/13

  4. Biochar Properties Residence Time Pyrolysis Resists chemical & weathering action Resists microbial digestion & decay Sequestration = at least 100 years Dr. David Laird, USDA Tilth Lab: 1600 year half-life • Recalcitrant 100 • 1 to 5% loss Tar & Resins Residues (VOC & PAH) Hydrophobic (oily hydrocarbons) 50 1−5% Carbon remaining (%) 35−50% Biochar • Vary with production process Temperature: 500-700°C (energy only: up to 1500°C) Pressure, Length of Time, Steam Gasification vs. Pyrolysis (burning vs. baking) Torrefication, Fast Pyrolysis, Flash Pyrolysis, Microwave Composted Biomass 10 Humus 10−15% 4 1 5 2 3 Years

More Related