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Biochar: Forgotten Agricultural Nostrum

The new multifunctional products are in good request nowadays. One of such innovations is Biochar. This type of charcoal is manufactured using the low-temperature continuous pyrolysis equipment. The raw material for the recycling process is biomass (agricultural and other biological waste).

Biochar origins (Terra Preta)

Spain сonquistadors were the first who noticed the fertile soil of the Amazon basin area in XVI century. They were believed that they had seen prosperous fruitful city in the dense jungles of South America, called “El Dorado” by Francisco de Orellana. The next European expedition took place 100 years later. However, the investigators did not found any approvals of mythological El dorado existence.

In ХХ century the exploring of Peru, Eсuador and Brazil area was continued. The content of the fertile soil, which wasn’t typical for Jungle, attracted attention of Dutch scientists. The native Indians called this phenomenon Terra Preta (“black soil” in Portuguese). The pedologists were deeply impressed that this soil was fecund without any fertilizing. The local Indians have recognized advantage property of this topsoil: it is able to regenerate. The collected 20 cm layer of the topsoil renewed in 20 years (1 cm per year).

The results of chemical analysis presented that Terra Preta content is equal to yellow and red soils content, which are situated at few metres, but absolutely unfriendly to plant growth. The only difference was charcoal content (10-30%), which appeared in the soil near 2000 years ago. This fact improved the hypothesis of Terra Preta anthropogeniс origin and confirmed the conquistadors’ notes. The total area of Terra Preta in South America is equal to the area of modern France. The scientists suppose that near 3 million Amazon basin people survived owing to Terra Preta.

At the end of the 20th century researchers investigated the soil heritage of the Indians of South America and determined the content of carbonized, but not completely burned, organic residues at the molecular level. This substance provides the soil nutrients, maintains moisture content and mineral balance, required for plant growth. It remains naturally and enhances productivity over time. The Ancient Indians manufactured the bio char prototype using incomplete waste incineration technology inside the mud stoves at low temperature. The season cloudbursts did not wash the output products out of the soil, as the ash (product of high-temperature combustion). Also, the first bio char didn’t spoil the selva as the non-treated biomass.

Benefits of Biochar Research and Development

Biochar application is perspective field of scientific research, which opens new approaches to material application every day. Developed countries actively invest in the biochar manufacturing at the base of the developing countries enterprises. International biochar initiative (IBI) presented the certification program to support the green soil fertilizer market and to attract new investment for the soil recovery project. Biochar fertilizer increases soil productivity for 30% and decreases water consumption, which presents not only environmental, but also financial benefits.

Environmental Advantages of using Biochar

Biochar is the most effective fertilizer nowadays, because it prevents the process of soil erosion and degradation. Agricultural use of this product avoids global environmental and economic problems.

Biochar fertilizer contents active ions, which prevent carbon evaporating into the atmosphere. The saved carbon (C) is absorbing by the roots of the plants. So, biochar use reduces greenhouse gas emissions and human-induced global warming effect.

The fertile soils will become solution for global issue of hunger in the nearest future. Biochar research will also become the warranty of considerable commercial prosperity of developing countries. Green soil recovery products limit aggressive chemical substances use (pest control chemicals, nitrogen-based fertilizers etc.), dangerous either for ground or for human health.

Properties of Вiochar

The biochar main component is carbon (C), which accumulates in biomass, combusting while the low-temperature pyrolysis (400-500 оС). The main biochar properties are:

  • porosity (biochar remains nutrient and moisture balance of the soil, stimulates the development of mycorrhiza (symbiotic association composed of a fungus and roots, found to have a protective role for plants, rooted in soils). Porosity increases the volume of the product and decreases of the material consumption for fertilizing (1x50 values of volume));
  • chemical inactivity (materials don’t degrade over thousands of years);
  • high-capacity adsorption and resistance to toxicity (biochar eliminates excess substances, which slow down root system development; absorbs aluminum oxides for soil stabilization);
  • stability in transportation and storage.

These characteristics make possible numerous uses of biochar.

How to apply Biochar?

Application of biochar in agriculture become more popular every year. Farmers all over the world try to find safe solution for soil degradation.

Biochar is the best fertilizer because it:

  • provides permanent soil warming, therefore accelerates the process of plants growth and development;
  • removes agricultural chemical residue from the soil (herbicide, pesticide, other chemical substances);
  • supports the functioning of soil microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoa) that increase soil productivity;
  • increases soil porosity and provides air circulation and oxygen access to the plants’ roots;
  • improve the content of infertile soils (alumina, sandy soil);
  • neutralizes soils with excessive acidity;
  • protects soil from some kinds of vermin (nematodes, wireworms);
  • prevents root rot in the soil;
  • stores and maintains the requirement nutrients and trace minerals in the soil, eliminates the problem of nutrients washing out.

Biochar application to soil recovery makes plant nursery business more profitable, because biochar fertilizer enhances greenhouse seedlings and ornamental plants’ growth. The local farmers of South America collect topsoil and sale at the flower markets. They are not afraid to cause harm to national wealth, because “Terra Preta” is recovering naturally. Also, biochar is in demand in the greenhouse market, because of its antibacterial and soil protecting against vermin properties.

Current biochar research increases the field of its application. It is used today not only as an effective fertilizer, but also as a feed supplement for domestic animals (cattle and poultry). The clean biochar supplement (3-10% of total content) improves animals’ immunity to virus and bacterial infections, and increases hen’s egg producing ability.

Biochar Production and Sources of Biochar

There are a few approaches to biochar making. PYROLYS Project is aimed at green waste recycling and pyrolysis products manufacture. Biochar is one of pyrolysis output materials, produced from destructed biomass inside the reactor at low temperature without access to oxygen ( click here to learn more about continuous pyrolysis technology and equipment).

Biochar production is usually based on biological raw materials and agricultural waste recycling. The widespread sources of biochar are:

  • biodegradable street and garden waste (leaves, flowers, roots, prunings from trees, vines and bushes, clippings from nature conservation measures, hay, grass);
  • wooden production waste (bark and chipping wood, sawdust, wood shavings, wood wool etc.);
  • agricultural waste (harvest leftovers, grain, feedstuffs, fruit, straw, shells, husks and grain dust);
  • food waste (kitchen, canteen and restaurant leftovers; residues from the production of canned food; alcohol distillery residues, brewer's grain, germs and dust from spent hops in beer production, wine lees, sludge from the winemaking; tea and coffee grounds; tobacco; oilseed residues; mushroom substrates; fish residues; eggshells);
  • food waste (materials from washing, cleaning, peeling, centrifuging and separation processes (pulp, pips, peelings, shreds or pomace));
  • animal by-products (hides and skins, bristles, feathers, hair, bones, manure);
  • textile products (cellulose, cotton and vegetable fibres);
  • paper, paper fibre sludge, plant-based packaging material.

To produce high-quality biochar the only biological raw materials are used. These waste can’t content chlorine or be treated with chemical substances. The ground residues are recognized as additives, used to improve pyrolysis conditions and biochar quality. They must not total more than 10% of the pyrolysed biomass (DM).

Where can I buy Biochar?

All progressive enterprises, keeping up-to-date with world agriculture experience, have already abandoned the non-environmental devices and products, because of their inefficiency. Modern agricultural business prefers the innovative safe fertilizers, as bio char.

However, farmers come into collision with the lack of such kind of products in the market. Another economical barrier is too high lump-sum price for small and medium enterprises. Therefore, once fertile lands become overheated with aggressive fertilizers in a few years. It leads to negative profit and even business failure.

Biochar for sale” is hard to find on European market, but there are some alternative ways of its production. The actual solution for agricultural and other enterprises, generating biological waste (biomass), is low-temperature continuous pyrolysis complex installation. Pyrolysis complex equipment provides green soil recovery and also eliminates need to store, to transport or to treat waste biomass.

If the idea of continuous pyrolysis biochar production has interested you, connect us.

           

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