Biochar applications and modern techniques for characterization

Abstract

Biochar simply is the material produced when biomass undergoes any chemical processes under the conditions of pyrolysis. The variety of biomasses, including wood waste, agricultural crop leftover, organic waste, animal manure, and forestry residues, have been considered as raw material to produce biochar. Biochar is widely used for generation of heat and power and an addition to soils, in which it serves as a fertilizer and carbon sequestration agent. Also in the form of being activated, it finds significant role for various adsorption applications. The most beneficial use of a given char depends on its physical and chemical characteristics, even though the relationship of char properties to these applications is not well defined. Various widely used modern analytical techniques, which are applicable and crucial for biochar characterization, have been reviewed in the present work, such as solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-rays photoelectron spectroscopy, X-rays diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, near edge X-rays absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Utilization of these modern techniques provides the quantitative as well as qualitative information, i.e., determining the sizes, shapes, and physicochemical characteristics of biochar, which is reliable to track changes in the carbon arrangement over reaction time and temperature, and will be useful for efficient production of biochar and application. It provides the useful information for the researchers in this area and is beneficial not only for the effective biochar production, but also for potential utilization/application, and not only for environment but also for agriculture.

Research on biocharviaa comprehensive scientometric approach

“…46,47 Biochar had some good characteristics, including being rich in nutrients, improving the nutrient utilization efficiency of crops, adjusting soil pH and removal of soil pollutants, etc. [48][49][50][51][52] Due to these characteristics, biochar could improve the soil quality, thus the research concerning biochar and soil(s) were relatively hotter. The further analysis of these 2062 articles containing soil or soils revealed that "carbon" and "effects" were the rst and second most used words, aer soil(s) and biochar.…”

Sustainable Carbonaceous Biofiller from Miscanthus: Size Reduction, Characterization, and Potential Bio-composites Applications

“…Biochar is the solid fraction obtained after biomass pyrolysis, which produces bio-oil and syngas as the liquid and gas products (Arnold et al 2018). Biochar is rich in carbon, highly porous, and is traditionally used as a natural and low-cost soil amendment material (Amin et al 2016).…”

Characteristics of biochar produced from yak manure at different pyrolysis temperatures and its effects on the yield and growth of highland barley

“…Biochar varies widely in pH, surface area, nutrient concentration, porosity, and metal binding capacity due to the assortment of feed stock materials and thermal conversion conditions [9][10][11]51,52]. To the best of our knowledge, till date, there is little reported work regarding the yak manure pyrolysis [53,54], and whether the yak manure derived biochar could be amended into the soil and improve the soil quality.…”