The Biochar Factory

Biochar: Biochar is commonly defined as charred organic matter, produced with the intent to deliberately apply to soils to sequester carbon and improve soil properties (Lehmann and Joseph, 2009). Biochar is generated from organic matter (mainly from waste), is treated at temperatures between 300~600 °C via pyrolysis (carbonization), when higher temperatures are applied (800-1100 °C) activation occurs.  Biochar or charcoal? The only difference between biochar and charcoal is in its utilitarian intention; charcoal is produced for other reasons (e.g. heating, barbecue, etc.) than biochar. Carbon cycle: Carbon-based molecules are crucial for life on earth, because it is the main component of biological compounds. Carbon is also a major component of many minerals. Carbon also exists in various forms in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is partly responsible for the greenhouse effect and is the most important human-contributed greenhouse gas. This

Introduction Soils have the ability to absorb carbon dioxide and influence its concentration in the atmosphere. Biochar can be used to increase the ability of soils to sequester carbon and simultaneously improve soil health.  Image source:  http://katerva.org/tag/biochar/ What is biochar? Biochar is just charcoal made from biomass—which is plant material and agricultural waste—hence the name ‘biochar’. It is a fine-grained charcoal produced from pyrolysis: the slow burning of organic matter in a low- or no-oxygen environment. What differentiates biochar from charcoal is its purpose; it is produced as an additive to soils, mainly to improve nutrient retention and carbon storage. [1] Although the history of biochar extends thousands of years, its science is still relatively poorly understood. Image source: Odette V. History of biochar The term ‘biochar’ was coined in recent times, but the origins of the concept are ancient.[2] Throughout the Amazo