Biochar

1. Biochar Basics:
An Introduction about the
What and Why of Biochar
Paul S. Anderson, PhD
AKA “Dr. TLUD” (TEE-lud)
V.P. of Chip Energy Inc
Specialist in micro-gasification
psanders@ilstu.edu
Slide-set modified and presented by:
Hugh McLaughlin, PhD, PE
Director of Biocarbon Research Alterna
Biocarbon Inc.
hmclaughlin@alternabiocarbon.com
(Add presenter’s identification)
Version 1 of these slides was presented at the
2009 Northeast Biochar Symposium, November 13 at
the University of Massachusetts Amherst
(Released for general distribution and use by others.)

2. Biochar Defined:
• The placement of charcoal into soils.
• The presence of nearly pure carbon in
soils, in the form of amorphous graphite.
• NOT carbon that is in living organisms.
• NOT fossil carbon, as in coal, oil, or
natural gas.

3. His ancestors
accomplished
soil
improvements
that modern
science is
trying to
understand
and replicate.

4. Latosol vs. Terra Preta (Dark Earth)
Terra preta is excellent soil with high presence of charcoal (biochar).

5. Terra preta might be from “slash and char” practices, but
NOT from current “slash-and-burn” agricultural practices.

6. • Was biomass; now has charcoal-like properties.
• Significant carbon content, but more than just
carbon that has been sequestered:
• Internal surface area and adsorption properties.
• CEC = cation exchange capacity, better
fertilizer retention and less field runoff.
•Significant synergisms with soil microbes over
time – nitrogen fixers and other good “bugs.”
Summary of Biochar Properties

7. Half-life of biochar
is ~1400 years.

8. Conclusion # 1:
• There is something about abundant charcoal in
soils that can be highly beneficial to plants.
• The benefits last for at least hundreds of years.
• Biochar has potential for improving soils and
feeding people, especially where soils are weak.
• ONLY possible with charcoal:
– NOT by putting coal dust into soils.
– NOT by adding manure or other organic
material.

9. Basic Forms and
Transformations of Carbon:
Elemental Carbon
C (solid)
Activated charcoal
Regular charcoal
Graphite
Carbon black (soot)
Coke (from coal)
Oxide gases
C + O
CO & CO2
Hydrocarbons
C + H
Coal, oil, gases
Biomolecules
C + H + O
Carbohydrates,
Sugars, Cellulose,
Lignin, & much
more in living and
dead biomass.

10. Basic Forms and
Transformations of Carbon:
Elemental Carbon
C (solid)
Activated charcoal
Regular charcoal
Graphite
Carbon black (soot)
Coke (from coal)
Oxide gases
C + O
CO & CO2
Hydrocarbons
C + H
Coal, oil, gases
Add H2O and
photosynthesis by
plants
Add Oxygen:
Gasification &
combustion
Loose Oxygen:
Become fossil fuels
Carbonization /
Pyrolysis:
Create charcoal
& liberate gases
Biomolecules
C + H + O
Carbohydrates,
Sugars, Cellulose,
Lignin, & much
more in living and
dead biomass.
Add Oxygen:
Decay

11. From: http://www.techtp.com/Torrefaction%20for%20High%20Quality%20Wood%20Pellets.pdf, page 7 of 36

12. How does wood burn?
• Wood, consists of hemicellulose, cellulose
and lignin
– Hemicellulose gasifies at 250 – 300C
– Cellulose splits into char and volatiles between 300C and 450C
– Lignin splits into char and volatiles between 300C and 750C
– Volatilization cools the remaining solid, but the gases burn and
generate radiant heat (yellow to blue light)
– Eventually, oxygen can react with the remaining char to make
CO2, H2O and ash, plus more heat (red light)
• Putting it all together, we can summarize
this in the next two slides that are easier
to understand:

13. D
drying (A)
Extensive
Devolatilisation
and
carbonisation
(E)
Limited
devolatilisation
and
carbonisation (D)
depolymerisation
and
recondensation
(C)
A
E
D
C
E
A
D
C
glass transition/
softening (B)
Hemicellulose Lignin Cellulose
100
150
200
250
300
Temperature
(°C)
Hemicellulose Lignin Cellulose
100
150
200
250
300
Temperature
(°C)
TORREFACTION
Pyrolysis & Carbonization Reactions of Wood
Below 288 C = Torrefied Wood Above 325 C = Biochar

14. The combustion flame (“C”) burns gases and provides heat to sustain
pyrolysis (“P”). Ash is held in the charcoal until “G” (char-gasification)
releases it. When “C” goes out, visible smoke shows condensing gases.
A match shows the simple
production of charcoal

15. • the first synthetic material produced by man.
• used to draw on the walls of caves, and
• used to transport fire (embers) to new locations.
• later used for smelting tin to make bronze tools.
• easier to do than any of the coal – oil – gas
options:
– Converting wood to charcoal is done by heating in an
atmosphere of limited oxygen.
– Known as “Pryolysis” or “Carbonization”, we do it
every time we make a fire with wood.
– And Mother Nature’s forest fires predate Smoky the
Bear ……
Making charcoal

16. 57% of carbon 33% of
carbon
0% + 6% + 4% of carbon
(35 wt %) (40 wt %) (25 wt %)
Charcoal retains ~ 20% of the weight and 30% of the energy of
the biomass, so ~70% of the energy is released as usable vapors.
Created by photosynthesis using
solar energy + CO2 + H2O
Chemical changes as wood becomes biochar:

17. MODIFIED ULIMATE ANALYSES OF CHARS
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
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S
Weight
percent
of
dry
sample
Resident Carbon Resident H & O Resident Nitrogen Mobile Carbon
Mobile H & O Mobile Nitrogen Ash (acid soluble) Ash (non-soluble)
Source: McLaughlin, Anderson, Shields & Reed (2009). All Biochars Are Not Created Equal…terrapreta.bioenergylists.org

18. Conclusion # 2:
• Charcoal is made by the thermal
transformation of biological matter,
mainly carbohydrates.
• Plant biomass seems to create the best
biochar – both woods and grasses.
• All biochars are not equal – both starting
biomass and carbonization conditions
influence the final biochar properties.

19. Basic Forms and
Transformations of Carbon:
Elemental Carbon
C (solid)
Activated charcoal
Regular charcoal
Graphite
Carbon black (soot)
Coke (from coal)
Oxide gases
C + O
CO & CO2
Hydrocarbons
C + H
Coal, oil, gases
Add H2O and
photosynthesis by
plants
Add Oxygen:
Gasification &
combustion
Loose Oxygen:
Become fossil fuels
Carbonization /
Pyrolysis:
Create charcoal
& liberate gases
Biomolecules
C + H + O
Carbohydrates,
Sugars, Cellulose,
Lignin, & much
more in living and
dead biomass.
Add Oxygen:
Decay

20. Timelines for Carbon
Transformations & Permanence
CO2
Biomass
(living and dead)
Natural short-term
cycle of growth and
decay (including
biomass burning) is
Carbon Neutral: C=
Fossil Fuels Biocarbon
Biochar in Soils
Hundreds or thousands of years
as long-term carbon sequestration: C-
100 million
years ( C- )
100 minutes ( C- )
Optional human activity,
creating Terra Preta
Burn it. Burn it.
200+ years of fossil
fuel consumption is
Carbon Positive:
C+
Storing carbon is
Carbon Negative: C-

21. Timelines for Carbon
Transformations & Permanence
CO2
Biomass
(living and dead)
Natural short-term
cycle of growth and
decay (including
biomass burning) is
Carbon Neutral: C=
Fossil Fuels Biocarbon
Biochar in Soils
Hundreds or thousands of years as
long-term carbon sequestration:
100 million
years ( C- )
100 minutes ( C- )
Optional human activity,
creating Terra Preta!!!
Burn it. Burn it.
200+ years of fossil
fuel consumption is
Carbon Positive:
C+ in enormous
proportions!!!
Storing carbon is
Carbon Negative: C-
C-

22. Ice age Ice age Ice age Ice age
285 in 1950

24. > 380
in 2010
< 300
in 1950
Most recent Ice Age
Shows ONLY 400,000 years. “Civilization” is less than 10,000 years old.

25. Global Temperature and Atmospheric CO2 over Geologic Time
Late Carboniferous to Early Permian time (315 mya -- 270 mya) is the only time period
in the last 600 million years when both atmospheric CO2 and temperatures were as low
as they are today (Quaternary Period ). Temperature after C.R. Scotese http://www.scotese.com/climate.htm CO2 after R.A. Berner, 2001 (GEOCARB III)
Source: http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/Carboniferous_climate.html
Today

26. Conclusion # 3:
• Global warming can be debated, but the increase in
atmospheric CO2 levels is clearly measured and due
to human activities.
• The Earth is very capable of existing with much
higher CO2 levels, but our current human society
probably could not.
• The only current reasonable method for human
action to remove significant amounts of atmospheric
CO2 is through biochar for carbon sequestration.
• And Conclusion # 1 states that Biochar is being
shown to improve poor soils, so put char into soils!

27. Potential Sources of Biochar
Chart of Potential Sources of Biochar
Source: McLaughlin, Anderson, Shields & Reed (2009). All Biochars Are Not Created Equal…terrapreta.bioenergylists.org
Type =>
Issue
Incidental Traditional Gasifier Other Modern Industrial Processes
Applica-
tion
Fire
Residual
Lump
Charcoal
Biomass to
Energy
By or Co-
product
Sole
product
Description
(Highly
general-
ized)
Fireplace
Forest fire
Incineration
Primitive kilns
Modern
kilns
Downdraft
Updraft
Top-Lit UpDraft
(TLUD)
Traditional retort
Specialized retort
Fast Pyrolysis
Biocarbon for energy
Biochar for soil
Bio-Gas & Bio-Oil
Oxygen? Oxic - Uncontrolled Oxic = limited
oxygen and
Anoxic = no oxygen
Oxic Anoxic (usually) Anoxic and Oxic
Commercial
for biochar?
No. Basically
destructive.
Yes. Established
product – for cooking
Biochar is NOT the
primary objective.
Initial efforts & biochar is
NOT the primary goal
Initial efforts

28. End of the Beginning about Biochar Basics
• Further discussions can cover issues of:
– Production of biochar, including cook stoves.
– Application of biochar.
– Impact of biochar on plants and soil microbes.
Or is this the Beginning of the End?
• With the rising CO2 level, living conditions of most
of humanity will be affected, and current cultural
structure and political stability are unlikely to
continue for another 100 years.
• Issues of atmospheric CO2 concentrations will not
be resolved without conscious and significant
actions by all the fuel-intense nations of the World
– and actions on the ground everywhere.