Physical and chemical characterization of waste wood derived biochars
Abstract
Biochar, a solid byproduct generated during waste biomass pyrolysis or gasification in the absence (or near-absence) of oxygen, has recently garnered interest for both agricultural and environmental management purposes owing to its unique physicochemical properties. Favorable properties of biochar include its high surface area and porosity, and ability to adsorb a variety of compounds, including nutrients, organic contaminants, and some gases. Physical and chemical properties of biochars are dictated by the feedstock and production processes (pyrolysis or gasification temperature, conversion technology and pre- and post-treatment processes, if any), which vary widely across commercially produced biochars. In this study, several commercially available biochars derived from waste wood are characterized for physical and chemical properties that can signify their relevant environmental applications. Parameters characterized include: physical properties (particle size distribution, specific gravity, density, porosity, surface area), hydraulic properties (hydraulic conductivity and water holding capacity), and chemical and electrochemical properties (organic matter and organic carbon contents, pH, oxidation-reduction potential and electrical conductivity, zeta potential, carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen (CHN) elemental composition, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and leachable PAHs and heavy metals). A wide range of fixed carbon (0-47.8%), volatile matter (28-74.1%), and ash contents (1.5-65.7%) were observed among tested biochars. A high variability in surface area (0.1-155.1g/m(2)) and PAH and heavy metal contents of the solid phase among commercially available biochars was also observed (0.7-83 mg kg(-1)), underscoring the importance of pre-screening biochars prior to application. Production conditions appear to dictate PAH content--with the highest PAHs observed in biochar produced via fast pyrolysis and lowest among the gasification-produced biochars.
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Biochars with high ash contents also tend to have greater amounts of PAHs and trace metals.
“Biochars with high ash contents also tend to have greater amounts of PAHs and trace metals”
From Biochar physicochemical properties: pyrolysis temperature and feedstock kind effects (2020) · cites this paper as Yargicoglu et al. 2015
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- Authors
- Yargicoglu, E. N., Sadasivam, B. Y., Reddy, K. R., & Spokas, K.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Chicago (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Corresponding author
- Reddy, Krishna R.
- Venue
- Waste Management
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-02
- Volume
- 36
- Pages
- 256-268
- ISSN
- 0956-053X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2021345079
- Cited by
- 443
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 30 · 2025: 59 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 51 · 2021: 50 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 11
- FWCI
- 10.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Waste Management (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. National Science Foundation (CMMI#1200799)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Processes
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Keywords
- biochar, wood waste, pyrolysis, gasification, physicochemical properties, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, leaching, surface area, porosity, hydraulic properties, zeta potential, fast pyrolysis
- MeSH terms
- Adsorption, Charcoal, Wood, Incineration, Biomass
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