Biochar’s ability to amend and remediate soil has been a growing interest, though the high energy expenses from high-temperature pyrolysis deter the motivation of the product use. Three types of feedstock (i.e., switchgrass, biochar, and live oak leaves) were used to produce biochar via slow pyrolysis at different temperatures and microwave irradiation at various power levels in this study. The resulting biochar was characterized for their physiochemical properties, including surface functionality, elemental composition, recalcitrance, and thermal stability. Through comparison, it was discovered that microwave biochar was more resistant to thermal decomposition, yet more diverse surface functional groups were preserved than pyrolysis biochar. Sorption behaviors of biochar were investigated by isotherm experiments. Microwave biochar exhibited better effectiveness in retaining ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), which could be attributed to its larger specific surface area and abundance of hydrophilic groups. The findings in this study aimed at creating a product with similar or better properties as conventional pyrolysis biochar to allow a large reduction in production costs through microwave utilization. The results suggested that microwaves with increased power output would be needed to expose the feedstock to a temperature high enough to cause significant thermal transformation. Biochar produced through microwave irradiation has the potential to increase nitrogen retention for increased agricultural crop yields.

Comparing physicochemical properties and sorption behaviors of pyrolosis-derived and microwave-mediated biochar

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

[Author Benefits](https://scimeetings.acs.org/?utm_source=pubs_content_marketing&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=0320_MCF_NPI_Launch_Spring_Homepage&ref=pubs_content_marketing)

[How to use SciMeetings](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMeetings-ACSSpring2020-HowToGuide_M3020-Final.pdf)

[Frequently Asked Questions](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMtng_ACSNMSp2020_FAQ_M3120_Final.pdf)

ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.