Biochar is pyrogenic carbon that can be produced by the combustion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment. Our recent research has shown that combination of the biochar technology with other emerging technologies (e.g., bio- and nanotechnology) to make engineered biochar from waste biomass can introduce multiple benefits to the environment, including sustainable management of bioresources, enhanced-value products, improved soil quality and productivity, carbon sequestration, and improved water and air quality. Novel biochar-based materials, including pristine and engineered biochars, have been created in our laboratory from a variety of carbon-rich biomass feedstocks with different methods. Critical physicochemical properties of these materials have been characterized in the laboratory. Laboratory experiments have also been conducted to test the applications of these novel biochar products to improve environmental sustainability, particularly with respect to their abilities to remove various contaminants from aqueous solutions. Our results suggest that both pristine and engineered biochars have good sorption ability to inorganic and organic compounds and thus can be used as low-cost sorbent for various applications to improve environmental sustainability.  In addition, some of the spent, nutrient-laden biochar sorbents can be applied to soils as fertilizer to improve soil quality.

Biochar technology for a sustainable environment

248th National Meeting (2014)

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