Biochar Product Applications

Transcription

1 Biochar Product Applications Don Harfield, P.Eng., P.M.P Retired Vegreville, Alberta Presentation to the AROWRN Conference Camrose, Alberta June 14, 2017

2 What is Biochar? Biochar is a carbon-rich solid produced by pyrolysis of biomass under partial or complete exclusion of oxygen. The process converts carbon in biomass into recalcitrant carbon which resists degradation and can sequester carbon in soil for centuries. Biochar is identical to charcoal, except it is primarily used for soil amendment purposes. However, it has myriads of applications like cleaning water, reducing odor, adsorbing toxic pollutants on soil to name a few.

3 How Do You Make Biochar? Biochar: Carbon-rich solid produced by low-temperature (450 to 550º C) pyrolysis of biomass under partial or complete exclusion of oxygen.

4 Where Can We Use Biochar? Greenhouse/Hydroponic Growth Media Agricultural Soil Amelioration Horticultural Soil Amendment Slow Release Fertilizers Biochar Product Blends Sawdust Biochar Solonetzic soil Biochar at 60 tons/ha

5 Biochar Quality Guidelines Biochar Quality Guidelines Biochar* IBI 1 EBC 2 BQM 3 General Characteristics Organic Carbon 10 wt.% 50 wt.% 10 wt.% Content H:C org Classification Criteria Organic Carbon Contaminants Contaminants Classes Class 1: 60 wt.% Class 2: 30 wt.% and < 60 wt.% Class 3: 10 wt.% and < 30 wt.% Premium grade Basic grade High grade Toxicants PAHs 6 20 mg/kg 4 mg/kg 12 mg/kg 20 Standard grade 20 mg/kg mg/kg Dioxins/Furans 9 ng/kg (I-TEQ) 20 ng/kg (I- 20 ng/kg (I- 20 ng/kg 20 ng/kg TEQ OMS) TEQ OMS) PCBs mg/kg 0.2 mg/kg 0.2 mg/kg 0.5 mg/kg I-TEQ 0.5 mg/kg I- TEQ Metals (mg/kg) As Cd Cr Cu Pb Hg Mo Ni Se Zn *All the parameters shown are in terms of dry weight basis (db) 1. IBI Biochar Standards - International Biochar Initiative (IBI) 2. European Biochar Certificate (EBC) European Biochar Foundation (EBF) 3. Biochar Quality Mandate (BQM) British Biochar Foundation (BBF)

6 Biochar Characterization Basic Analyses Proximate (moisture, volatiles, fixed C, Ash) Ultimate (C, H, N, O, and S) Heating Value Toxicity Analyses Germination Inhibition Assay Earthworm Avoidance Test PAHs/Dioxins/Heavy Metals Advanced Analyses Morphological Analyses (surface area, porosity) Carbon Stability (Aging Effects)

7 Carbon Stability - Biochar

8 CFIA Approval CFIA considers Biochar as a supplement under the Federal Fertilizer Act and requires specific registration prior to sale/import or prior to environmental release in Canada. Air Terra in collaboration with InnoTech Alberta pioneered Biochar Registration with CFIA in Canada Air Terra Biochar approved December 2015 Titan Clean Energy Biochar application in process CFIA non-compliance could result in product detention and prosecution.

9 Federal Regulations - CFIA

10 Air Terra Biochar - Specifications Biochar Average Result Air Terra Product Min. Guarantee Volatile Matter 8.5 % Proximate Analyses wt.% dry basis (db) Max. Allowable Concentration Ash 6.7 % 25 % Fixed Carbon 84.8 % 70 % IBI Class 1 (> 60 %)* Ultimate Analyses wt.% (db) C % H 0.68 % O 7.84 % N 0.22 % S 0 Atomic Ratios H/C 0.1 IBI guidelines* require biochar H/C org ratio 0.7 O/C 0.07 Biochar with O/C atomic ratio < 0.2, have an estimated half-life (T 1/2 ) > 1000 year [Carbon Management 2010, 1, 289] Toxicity Bio-Assay Germination Rate 100 % Radish seed germination rate in biochar relative to quartz sand control Toxicants Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - PAHs 1.6 mg/kg < 20 mg/kg IBI guideline* Dioxins Not detected < 9 ng/kg IBI guideline* Furans Not detected < 9 ng/kg IBI guideline* Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls - Not detected PCBs < 0.5 mg/kg IBI guideline* Heavy Metals Within max. allowable conc. Below CFIA T standard threshold

11 CFIA Labelling Air Terra Example

12 Research Support at InnoTech Alberta Lab Scale Product Development and Analyses Pilot Scale Production Demonstration Scale Biochar Units Client Systems Testing & Optimization Field Trials and Crop Evaluation

13 Biochar Composting Trial - Harfield CFIA Approved Biochar Compost Feedstock with Biochar

14 Biochar Commercial Applications High Value Low to Medium Volume Functionalized Biochars Activated Carbon Replacement Filter Media (industrial water clean-up, ie oil sands tailings) Mercury/Sulfur Capture Inoculant Carriers Low Value High Volume Soil Amendment and Fertilizer Carrying Agents Growth Media Land Reclamation/Remediation Lake De-eutrophication Potting Mixes (Commercial & Retail)

15 Quality Control Considerations Feedstock Quality Unprocessed Agricultural Residue Forestry Residues Livestock Residues Processed (Non Compliance with Regulations Treated Wood (Railway Ties, Preserved Wood) Construction & Demolition Wood MSW/Refuse Derived Fuel Process Variability Temperature Retention Time Rate of Heating Post Treatment

16 Economic Considerations Biochar Market price $ $ 1,000 / tonne (dry basis) Increasing Product Availability (Canada, US) Markets Being Developed Activated Carbons Market price $ / tonne Well defined product quality Well established market and applications Functionalized Biochar Alternatives to Activated Carbons

17 Soil Considerations Need for Improving Our Soils Soil Degradation - Carbon & Organic Matter Depletion Soil Removal for Land Development Industrially Damaged Soils Bringing Our Soil Back to Life * Minimal Soil Disturbance No-Till Planting Grow Cover Crops After Harvesting Reduce Carbon Loss Rotate Crops Restore Soil & Reduce Pests *From Growing a Revolution Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by Dr. David R. Montgomery, 2017

18 Biochar Application Rates Determine Existing Carbon Content Soils Testing Carbon & Organic Matter Content Compare to Desired Levels & Neighboring Lands Consult With Agronomist InnoTech Alberta Vegreville Alberta Agriculture Agricultural College Soil Organic Carbon Content in Soils Desert Less than 0.5% Upland Soils 0.5% to 3% Typical Target 5 to 10% Organic Soils Greater than 12 to 18% Terra Preta Soils Greater than 50%

19 Biochar Conditioning Best Results After Conditioning Charging Biochar with Plant Nutrients Innoculating with Living Organisms Biochar Can Be Added During Planting Stage Best to Pre-Condition Before Adding to Soil Pre-Conditioning with Manure or Compost Further Additions for Permanent Plantings Living Soil Soil Microbes in Topsoil and at Root Surfaces Innoculating Soil with Conditioned Biochar Accelerates Beneficial Mycorrhizal Structures Microbes Need Decomposed Organic Matter Compost and Manure are Excellent Microbe Sources

20 Carbon Sequestration Biochar is Carbon Negative Carbon Sequestration by Photosynthesis Fossil Fuels Add Carbon Dioxide and Other GHG Biomass Fuels (Combustion) Are Carbon Neutral Sustainable Biochar Systems can be Carbon Negative Biochar Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide Biochar is Partially Combusted (Pyrolysis) Biomass Net Carbon Sequestration of 25% from Atmosphere Converting Biomass to Biochar Can Also Avoid CO 2 and CH 4 Emissions Due to Natural Decomposition Biochar Can Remain Sequestered for Hundreds or Thousands of Years

21 Carbon Sequestration Website Source: International Biochar Initiative

22 Other Beneficial Pyrolysis Applications Conversion of Crumb Rubber Reduction in Landfill Volumes Energy Densification (Biocarbon) Pyrolysis Oil (Liquid Fuels) Bio-Oil (Green Phenols Based Glues) Gasification Syngas (Conversion to Methanol)

23 Sources of Biochar & Biocarbon *Air Terra - *Titan Clean Energy - BC Biocarbon - Diacarbon - Cool Planet - *Note CFIA approved biochar is required for soil amendments intended for food production in Canada Air Terra Soil Matrix (CFIA Approved) Titan Clean Energy Mayan Gold (CFIA Application in Process)

24 Suggested Reading Resources Reference Books: Biochar for Environmental Management, 2 nd Edition, Routledge, 2015 Geotherapy, CRC Press, 2015 Biochar Production, Characterization and Applications, CRC Press, 2015 The Biochar Solution, New Society Publishers, 2010 The Biochar Debate, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009 The Biochar Revolution, Global Publishing, 2010 Terra Preta, Greystone Books, 2016 Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, Growing a Revolution Bringing Our Soil Back to Life, W.W. Norton & Company 2017

25 Suggested Website Resources Internet Websites: Biochar Basics - IBI - USBI - ABI - Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations (Dr. David Montgomery) - UN Global Assessment of Soil Degradation - Soil Organic Carbon - Conditioning Biochars - Climate Change -

26 Biochar Product Applications Presentation Thank You! Don Harfield, P.Eng., P.M.P. Retired Vegreville, Alberta Cell/Text: (780)