Cited by 476Thermochemical Biomass Conversion ProcessesAdsorption and biosorption for pollutant removalCarbon Dioxide Capture Technologies

A comprehensive review on physical activation of biochar for energy and environmental applications

Sajjadi, Baharak, Chen, Wei-Yin, Egiebor, Nosa O.·2019·Reviews in Chemical Engineering

Abstract

Biochar is a solid by-product of thermochemical conversion of biomass to bio-oil and syngas. It has a carbonaceous skeleton, a small amount of heteroatom functional groups, mineral matter, and water. Biochar’s unique physicochemical structures lead to many valuable properties of important technological applications, including its sorption capacity. Indeed, biochar’s wide range of applications include carbon sequestration, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, renewable energy generation, soil amendment, and environmental remediation. Aside from these applications, new scientific insights and technological concepts have continued to emerge in the last decade. Consequently, a systematic update of current knowledge regarding the complex nature of biochar, the scientific and technological impacts, and operational costs of different activation strategies are highly desirable for transforming biochar applications into industrial scales. This communication presents a comprehensive review of physical activation/modification strategies and their effects on the physicochemical properties of biochar and its applications in environment-related fields. Physical activation applied to the activation of biochar is discussed under three different categories: I) gaseous modification by steam, carbon dioxide, air, or ozone; II) thermal modification by conventional heating and microwave irradiation; and III) recently developed modification methods using ultrasound waves, plasm…

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Crossref · 10.1515/revce-2017-0113

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Authors
Sajjadi, B., Chen, W.-Y., & Egiebor, N. O.
Affiliations
  • University of Mississippi (US)
  • SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (US)
Corresponding author
Sajjadi, Baharak
Venue
Reviews in Chemical Engineering
Published
2019-07-26
Volume
35
Issue
6
Pages
735-776
ISSN
  • 0167-8299 (ISSN-L)
  • 2191-0235
OpenAlex
W2890474203
Cited by
475
References
232
Citations by year
2026: 81 · 2025: 94 · 2024: 77 · 2023: 76 · 2022: 76 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 2
FWCI
7.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Reviews in Chemical Engineering (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Processes
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies
Keywords
biochar, physical activation, biomass thermochemical conversion, steam activation, CO2 activation, microwave activation, ultrasonic activation, plasma activation, electrochemical activation, surface area, pore structure, surface functional groups, adsorption, environmental remediation, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, waste management, soil amendment, physicochemical properties

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