Synergies in Sequential Uses of BioChar

Project description

Background: Based on expertise from across the GreenCarbon consortium, this PhD project will
focus on identification of opportunities for sequential uses of biochar-derived materials.
Sequential uses can be divided into two categories. The first category includes sequences,
where biochar produced with the primary aim to sequester carbon and to provide soil benefits is
initially used in applications that improve its properties, while delivering environmental or other
services (e.g., nutrient recovery and recycling) or emissions reduction. This biochar can then be
used in agriculture and horticulture. The second category includes sequences where refined
biochars were produced for primary use in energy and environmental applications. At the end of
their lifetime in the primary application, the materials can successful be used in one or more other
applications, the last final use being in agriculture or horticulture.

Specific examples of sequences in the first category that will be investigated at UEdin and
Freeland Horticulture Ltd include: removal of odour from agricultural and industrial processes (in-
vessel composting, anaerobic digestion, poultry production, etc.), removal of contaminants (hard
COD), and recovery and recycling of nutrients (N, P) in effluents from composting, anaerobic
digestion, water treatment processes, animal production, etc. The aim will be to replace activated
carbon filters and other systems currently in use, with the aim to reduce running costs and
recycle nutrients.
In the second category, spent refined BCs (e.g., CO2 capture sorbents, catalyst supports, etc.)
will be assessed as potential replacements for activated carbons, additives and fillers, and
ultimately as sole components or ingredients in biochar products for agriculture and horticulture.

Objectives: to provide a scientific basis for use of biomass-derived carbons (BCs) in filters for
odour removal, contaminant removal, and nutrient capture and recycling; to develop effective and
economically attractive effluent management solutions replacing currently used systems based
on activated carbon etc. It is expected that the project will yield fundamental understanding of
potential synergies, and identify a number of opportunities for sequential uses of BCs and BC-
derived materials with high synergies. The most promising options will be further developed,
tested and assessed in terms of technical and environmental performance. Performance
indicators of BC-based solutions will be benchmarked against current industry standards (mainly
based on activated carbon).

Green Carbon:
thermochemical conversion of biomass and utilisation of resulting carbon materials. It has a
scientific focus on thermochemical conversion of biomass (pyrolysis and hydrothermal
carbonisation), functionalisation and porosity development of produced chars, application of
resulting tailor-made carbon materials in heterogeneous catalysis and adsorption (e.g., CO2
capture in post-combustion), application of produced chars as soil enhancers and carbon
sequestration agents.

The energy crisis, environmental pollution and global warming are serious problems that are of
great concern throughout the world. Worlds current energy consumption is estimated to 500
EJ/year out of which around 40% is dedicated to the production of materials and chemicals.
Materials and chemicals as today are mostly derived from fossil fuels and so is the global energy.
These materials need to be simple to synthesise, as cost effective as possible and ideally based
on renewable resources as we are running out of certain key elements such as Pt, Ir, Ru, Rh, etc.
These high-performance materials should have specific characteristics and be designed for
performing specific functions in the fields of energy and environment.
Carbon materials are ideal candidates for performing many of these functions. Carbon can be
found in a wide variety of allotropes, from crystalline (diamond and graphite) to amorphous
(carbon black, activated carbon, etc.). In the past decade, the nanostructured forms of crystalline
carbon (fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene) have received the most attention due to
remarkable and unusual physicochemical properties. However, the main disadvantage of using
these crystalline nanocarbons for energy and environmental related application is their high
production costs. Alternatively, carbon materials derived from renewable resources (e.g.,
lignocellulosic biomass) will play a very powerful role in this direction in the near future. So far,
excluding activated carbons, relatively little research has been conducted on the synthesis and
characterisation of carbon materials based on natural resources.

Work Activities

The work activities involved in the research will involve:

Production of biochar and biochar-mineral composites in lab scale pyrolyzer
Analysis of biochar using a range of techniques and instruments, including TGA/DSC, TG-MS,
SEM, XRD, x-ray micro-tomography, Ramann spectroscopy, etc.
Testing of biochar performance in various applications, such as removal of
nutrients/contaminants from liquid effluents, or removal of odour from gaseous effluents, CO2
adsorption
Travel and collaborate with colleagues in other partner institutes
Contribute to dissemination and publication of personal and/or research team findings.

Literature:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032116305548

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1226086X16301472
http://futureenergysp.com/index.php/tre/article/view/33

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10643389.2016.1260902

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969716324196

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960852416305892

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095965261300824X

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10643389.2014.924180

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Han-
Qing_Yu/publication/283263544_Development_of_Biochar-
Based_Functional_Materials_Toward_a_Sustainable_Platform_Carbon_Material/link
s/5638163408ae51ccb3cbeddb.pdf