Abstract

Biochar is an uniquely useful renewable resource that has significant advantages in solving many environmental problems. It helps to mitigate the harmful soil degradation experienced in recent years (decades), including the restoration of the balance of pollutants in the soil, water and gaseous medium. After all, synergistically, with proper use, it can improve soil, water and air quality, carbon dioxide sequestration and moderate greenhouse gas emissions. We designed and implemented laboratory equipment (with a total weight of 0.5 kg) and industrial equipment (50 – 100 kg of coal/hour) and validated the laboratory results with this industrial equipment.
Our equipment is a so-called resting-bed design. Drying and carbonization are also carried out by direct heat transfer. The carbonizing material is continuously rotated in the interior due to the material movement with the stirrer lever. As a result, the quality of the material leaving and entering the reactor is balanced. Better heat transfer and uniform distribution of thermal energy is facilitated by the circulation of the hot gas that fills the space. The high-temperature gas is supplied with a gas jet pump. The energy obtained by burning the pyrolysis gases produced during carbonization ensures the heating of the system, so there is no need for significant external energy input.
According to our results, the quality and other characteristics of biochar vary significantly depending on the type of raw material and pyrolysis conditions. In order to ensure the quality of the created material, the production process must be closely monitored in every detail of the equipment. The continuous quality control of the products cannot be neglected either. According to the opinion of international associations and research groups, significant development of the use of biochar is expected in the future. There is growing interest in the use of biochar to remove pollutants from soil, water and gas, and its potential to replace expensive commercial activated carbon.