New trends in biochar pyrolysis and modification strategies: feedstock, pyrolysis conditions, sustainability concerns and implications for soil amendment
Open accessAbstract
As a waste‐derived soil amendment with a long history, biochar has received extensive attention for its capability to improve soil fertility/health; remove or immobilize contaminants in soil, water and air; and mitigate climate change. With the aim of producing engineered biochars with excellent performances, new trends in biochar pyrolytic production and modification strategies have emerged. This review critically summarizes novel pyrolysis methods (e.g., microwave‐assisted pyrolysis, co‐pyrolysis and wet pyrolysis) and modification approaches (e.g., mineral modification, photocatalytic modification, electrochemical modification) with a focus on (a) the mechanisms involved in environmental remediation processes including soil immobilization, contaminant adsorption and catalytic oxidation; (b) effects of feedstock and pyrolysis conditions on physicochemical properties; (c) sustainability considerations in novel modification and pyrolysis strategies; and (d) the feasibility of extrapolating the results from wastewater treatment to soil remediation. It is argued that in order to achieve the maximum net environmental benefits, ‘greener’ modification methods are warranted, and the risks associated with pyrolysis of contaminated feedstock in soil amendment and contaminant sorption can be minimized through various novel approaches (e.g., co‐pyrolysis). Furthermore, novel pyrolysis methods can be combined with emerging modification strategies to synthesize more ‘effective’ biochars. Considering the similar aims of modification (e.g., increase surface area, introduce oxygen‐containing functional groups, increase aromaticity), the applicability of several novel approaches could in future can be expanded from contaminant adsorption/degradation in aqueous media to soil remediation/fertility improvement.
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A high lignin content of the feedstock favors negative priming because the resulting biochar possesses higher aromatic moieties which are harder to metabolize than aliphatic ones.
“A high lignin content of the feedstock also favors negative priming, because the resulting biochar should possess higher aromatic moieties which are much harder to be metabolized as compared with aliphatic ones (Wang et al. 2020g).”
From Role of biochar toward carbon neutrality (2023) · cites this paper as Wang et al. 2020g
Plant biomass feedstock renders lower ash content than animal waste or sludge feedstocks.
“Plant biomass as the feedstock material renders a low ash content as compared with animal waste or sludge feedstocks (Wang et al. 2020g).”
From Role of biochar toward carbon neutrality (2023) · cites this paper as Wang et al. 2020g
NH3 ambience pyrolysis is a simple way to introduce nitrogen-containing functional groups.
“ NH 3 ambience pyrolysis is also a simple way to introduce nitrogen-containing functional groups (Wang et al. 2020g).”
From Role of biochar toward carbon neutrality (2023) · cites this paper as Wang et al. 2020g
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- Authors
- Wang, L., Ok, Y. S., Tsang, D. C. W., Alessi, D. S., Rinklebe, J., Wang, H., Mašek, O., Hou, R., O'Connor, D., & Hou, D.
- Affiliations
- Tsinghua University (CN)
- Korea University (KR)
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK)
- University of Alberta (CA)
- University of Wuppertal (DE)
- Zhejiang A & F University (CN)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- School of Environment Tsinghua University Beijing China
- Corresponding author
- Hou, Deyi
- ORCID
- Venue
- Soil Use and Management
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-05-30
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 358-386
- ISSN
- 0266-0032 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-2743
- OpenAlex
- W3015782924
- Cited by
- 393
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 60 · 2025: 57 · 2024: 69 · 2023: 68 · 2022: 54 · 2021: 50 · 2020: 34
- FWCI
- 16.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Soil Use and Management (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PolyU Institutional Research Archive (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC1801300)
- 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, pyrolysis, biochar modification, soil amendment, soil remediation, co-pyrolysis, microwave pyrolysis, mineral modification, electrochemical modification, contaminant immobilization, pollutant adsorption, catalytic oxidation, feedstock, pyrolysis conditions, sustainability, soil fertility, wastewater treatment
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