Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yafu Zhang, Jinman Wang, Yu Feng
Summary: The article summarizes the effects and applications of biochar, finding that it has multiple beneficial uses for agriculture and the environment, while also pointing out potential negative impacts that may arise during preparation and application. Further research is needed to understand the impact of biochar on soils and to mitigate any negative effects.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sahar Palangi, Omid Bahmani, Vahid Atlassi-pak
Summary: The study found that adding wheat straw biochar can reduce the leachability of deltamethrin in soil, decrease its sorption in soil, but slightly delay its degradation rate.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Hui Tang, Miao Chen, Pan Wu, Muhammad Faheem, Qianwei Feng, Xinqing Lee, Shengsen Wang, Bing Wang
Summary: Biochar is effective in soil amendment, environmental remediation, and carbon sequestration. However, the inherent characteristics of pristine biochars (PBCs) may limit their environmental applications. To improve the properties of PBCs and their effects on soil amendment and pollution remediation, appropriate modification methods are needed. Engineered biochars (EBCs) have various effects on soil physicochemical properties and biota communities when applied to soil. More research is needed to understand the impacts of EBCs on soil properties and biota communities. A systematic review is highly necessary to gain a better understanding of the effects of EBCs.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mohammad Ghorbani, Elnaz Amirahmadi, Reinhard W. Neugschwandtner, Petr Konvalina, Marek Kopecky, Jan Moudry, Kristyna Perna, Yves Theoneste Murindangabo
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of biochar produced at different temperatures on soil aggregation and moisture retention, and found that biochar produced at 550℃ had the greatest effect on water-stable aggregates and available water content.
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Maria Fredriksson, Markus Rueggeberg, Thomas Nord-Larsen, Greeley Beck, Emil Engelund Thybring
Summary: The moisture content of wood cell walls is determined by both environmental conditions and material characteristics of the wood. This study used data exploration to identify the important wood characteristics determining the cell wall moisture content. Chemical composition was found to be the most important predictor of the cell wall moisture content, while in the low moisture range, cellulose crystallinity and hydroxyl accessibility were important predictors, and at high moisture contents, microfibril orientation in the cell walls was important. Overall, no single wood characteristic had a major effect on the cell wall moisture content.
Article
Soil Science
Saeedeh Khaledi, Masoomeh Delbari, Hadi Galavi, Hossein Bagheri, Mohammad Mahdi Chari
Summary: This study investigated and modeled the effects of biochar particle size, biochar rate, and soil moisture content on the thermal properties of a sandy loam soil. The results showed that a higher biochar application rate significantly altered soil physical and chemical properties, while biochar particle sizes had a remarkable effect on soil thermal properties. Soil moisture had a more robust effect on thermal properties than biochar amendment. Mathematical models were able to estimate thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and thermal diffusivity accurately.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Edward Attenborough, Justin Creado, Alice Tiong, Paul Michalski, Sushil Dhital, Kahlil Desai, Leonie van 't Hag
Summary: The effect of dried jackfruit powder on the extrusion of cornmeal was studied to create a naturally flavored and nutritious expanded snack. Both ripe and unripe jackfruit powder were added to corn grits to investigate the impact of macronutrient composition, feed composition and particle size on extrusion parameters. The addition of jackfruit hindered the expansion ratio of the extrudate, with ripe jackfruit increasing sugar content and unripe jackfruit increasing fiber content. Ripe jackfruit also had higher moisture sorption, resulting in a higher water solubility index of the extrudate. The starch-sugar-fiber composition had a larger effect on expansion than feed particle size.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Amisalu Milkias Misebo, Samuel Feyissa Ayano, Marcin Pietrzykowski
Summary: The use of exclosure for ecological restoration is a vital method to reverse degraded lands. Exclosure has a positive effect on the restoration of soil nutrients, which are essential to promote vegetation growth and minimize soil erosion.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xinliang Dong, Jintao Wang, Xiaojing Liu, Bhupinder Pal Singh, Hongyong Sun
Summary: This study investigated the effects of biochar derived from different halophyte species on saline soils, revealing changes in biochar properties with increasing pyrolysis temperature. Application of Tamarix chinensis and Phragmites australis biochars showed improvements in soil water and salt content, with potential for maintaining stable soil pH levels. This research provides valuable insights for selecting halophyte types and optimizing pyrolytic temperatures for halophyte biochar production in specific environmental conditions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Zhihan Yang, Ruihuan She, Lanfang Hu, Yongxiang Yu, Huaiying Yao
Summary: Biochar application can effectively reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions during freeze-thaw cycles by inhibiting the production and emission of N2O and reducing soil microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN). The addition of maize straw biochar (MB) or rice straw biochar (RB) significantly suppressed N2O emissions and decreased the abundance of AOB amoA genes. Soil moisture directly influenced N2O emissions and indirectly affected them through its influence on soil physicochemical properties.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hainan Lu, Jiacheng Xu, Zhengjun Feng, Feng Li, Xinde Cao, Jie Yang
Summary: This study investigates the sorption capacity of modified biochar for nitrobenzene removal. Chemical modification enhances the sorption capacity of biochar pyrolyzed at high temperatures, while decreasing the sorption capacity of biochar pyrolyzed at low temperatures. NaOH and HCl modifications significantly improve the sorption capacity, while HNO3 modification decreases it.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Jinsheng Li, Xinqing Shao, Ding Huang, Kesi Liu, Jianying Shang, Qian Zhang, Tianci Zhao, Xiaomeng Yang
Summary: This study investigated the effect of biochar application on soil physicochemical properties and microorganisms in a degraded alpine grassland in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results showed that biochar application increased nutrient content, improved soil fertility, and enhanced microbial activity.
Article
Agronomy
Suzana Ioana Calcan, Oana Cristina Parvulescu, Violeta Alexandra Ion, Cristian Eugen Raducanu, Liliana Badulescu, Roxana Madjar, Tanase Dobre, Diana Egri, Andrei Mot, Lavinia Mihaela Iliescu, Ionut Ovidiu Jerca
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of biochar produced from vine pruning residue on soil physicochemical properties and tomato plant growth. The results showed that the strongly alkaline biochar significantly improved the growth performance of tomato plants grown in strongly acidic soil, with higher height, number of leaves, and collar diameter compared to other treatments. This positive effect of biochar on plant growth is attributed to the changes in soil properties, such as increased electrical conductivity, pH, and nutrient concentration, as well as reduced soil bulk density, promoting root development and enhancing water and nutrient uptake.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Meng Zhang, Yitao Zhu, Yaobin Lyu, Yaqi Luo, Tianxin Duan, Li Wei, Li Pingping
Summary: Deashing treatment can enhance the sorption capacity of biochars for naphthalene and 1-naphthol by reducing surface polar groups and enhancing hydrophobic sorption domains. The removal of minerals in biochars promotes diffusion of organic molecules towards surface hydrophobic domains, leading to an increase in the sorption rate constant. Deashed biochars exhibit lower rate constants for the slow sorption fraction due to their higher aromaticity and larger surface area, inhibiting the diffusion of sorbates into condensed domains.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Qiang Chen, Xingyi Zhang, Li Sun, Jianhua Ren, Yaru Yuan, Shuying Zang
Summary: In the study of tillage practices in the Mollisols region of Northeast China, it was found that strip tillage (ST) has similar soil properties to no tillage (NT), with strip tillage between rows (BR) showing better soil quality and higher organic carbon content at a depth of 0-20 cm compared to NT. Additionally, strip tillage has advantages in improving soil conditions of seedbed.
Article
Thermodynamics
Wei Chen, Kaixu Li, Zhiqun Chen, MingWei Xia, Yingquan Chen, Haiping Yang, Xu Chen, Hanping Chen
Summary: Alkaline additives were found to promote the formation of biochar and gas products, while inhibiting the generation of bio-oil. The content of oxygen in biochar increased greatly, mainly consisting of -OH, -O?C = O, and -COOH groups. Additionally, alkaline additives were transformed into more stable structures (K2CO3, Na2CO3, CaO, and MgO).
PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMBUSTION INSTITUTE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Energy & Fuels
Shurong Wang, Qiang Lu, Huiyan Zhang, Haoran Yuan, Haiping Yang, Chenguang Wang, Yun Yu, Kaige Wang
Article
Energy & Fuels
Youjian Zhu, Yiming Chen, Wei Cheng, Wennan Zhang, Junhao Hu, Kuo Zeng, Haiping Yang, Jingai Shao, Hanping Chen
Summary: This study investigated the effects of three calcium phosphate additives on PM1 emissions from cornstalk combustion, with one additive showing promising potential in reducing PM1 emissions. The addition of Ca-3(PO4)(2) was found to be a potentially effective method in reducing PM1 emissions during straw biomass combustion.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Han Zhang, Wei Liao, Xiaoming Zhou, Jingai Shao, Yingquan Chen, Shihong Zhang, Hanping Chen
Summary: The study investigated the coeffect of pyrolysis temperature and K3PO4 impregnation on the characteristics and adsorption behavior of bamboo biochar. The results showed that medium-temperature pyrolysis (550-750 degrees C) produced biochar with higher adsorption capacity for heavy metals, mainly through the adsorption of Cd (II) by O-containing groups, PO43-, and P2O74-.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wei Yi, Diweina Zheng, Xianhua Wang, Yingquan Chen, Junhao Hu, Haiping Yang, Jingai Shao, Shihong Zhang, Hanping Chen
Summary: This study conducted batched hydrothermal experiments on corn stalk under CO2 or inert atmosphere to investigate the effects of CO2 on biomass conversion. The results showed that CO2 slightly increased liquid and gas yields and significantly improved the control effect of temperature on bio-oil components. Bio-oil under CO2 atmosphere achieved effective enrichment of ketones and phenols, while the hydrochar obtained showed higher crystallinity, facilitating its subsequent utilization.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuanyuan Wang, Ning Cai, Haiping Yang, Chunfei Wu
Summary: This study explores the application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) derived from waste plastics as fillers in epoxy resin. Through purification and modification, pCNTs were effectively dispersed in the EP matrix, resulting in improved mechanical properties compared to EP alone.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Junjie Zhang, Danru Huang, Jingai Shao, Xiong Zhang, Shihong Zhang, Haiping Yang, Hanping Chen
Summary: A facile modification method of biochar was proposed to enhance its CO2 adsorption capacity by grafting ZIF-8 and annealing. The modified biochar showed improved pore structure and higher CO2 adsorption energy, resulting in increased CO2 uptake and selectivity.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Haoyu Xiao, Jonathan Harding, Shuaishuai Lei, Wei Chen, Sunwen Xia, Ning Cai, Xu Chen, Junhao Hu, Yingquan Chen, Xianhua Wang, Xin Tu, Haiping Yang, Hanping Chen
Summary: Plasma-catalysis pyrolysis of polypropylene was investigated in this study. Compared to conventional catalytic pyrolysis, plasma-catalysis pyrolysis increased gas products and improved the selectivity of BTX while inhibiting the production of wax. Additionally, the stability of the plasma-catalytic system was maintained with almost no variation observed after 10 cycles.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Junjie Zhang, Danru Huang, Jingai Shao, Xiong Zhang, Haiping Yang, Shihong Zhang, Hanping Chen
Summary: This study demonstrates a straightforward and activation-free synthetic strategy to produce nitrogen-doped porous carbon by co-carbonizing biochar and zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8). The nitrogen groups are uniformly introduced onto the surface of biochar after modification. The interaction between biochar and ZIF-8 significantly enhances the porosity of the products, especially the microporosity. The modified biochar shows a substantial increase in surface area and CO2 adsorption capacity.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yu Li, Zhiwu Tan, Youjian Zhu, Wennan Zhang, Zhenyi Du, Jingai Shao, Long Jiang, Haiping Yang, Hanping Chen
Summary: This study investigates the effects of NH4H2PO4 additive on the properties of biomass fuel and particulate matter emissions during combustion. The results show that NH4H2PO4 addition can enhance the removal of O and retention of C, reduce the absolute content of Cl and S in the torrefied fuel, and significantly change the occurrence of alkali and alkaline earth metals. Furthermore, the emissions of PM1 from the torrefied fuels are effectively reduced with the addition of NH4H2PO4.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Wei Cheng, Jing'ai Shao, Youjian Zhu, Wennan Zhang, Hao Jiang, Junhao Hu, Xiong Zhang, Haiping Yang, Hanping Chen
Summary: Torrefaction can improve fuel properties and reduce operating costs. However, the emission behavior of particulate matter (PM) during torrefied pellet combustion is still unknown. In this study, cotton stalks were torrefied at temperatures of 220-300°C with oxygen concentrations of 0-21%. The burned torrefied pellets were analyzed using a Dekati low-pressure impactor to investigate PM emission behavior. The results show that oxidative torrefaction leads to significant decreases in H/C and O/C ratios, making the fuel properties similar to coal. The heating value is greatly improved and sensitive to the torrefaction temperature. Both non-oxidative and oxidative torrefaction result in a considerable increase in PM10 yield. The main composition of PM1 changes from KCl to K2SO4 due to the release of chlorine during torrefaction. Additionally, the presence of oxygen facilitates the transformation of alkali and alkaline-earth metals into coarse particles, as indicated by the generally high levels of calcium and potassium in PM1-10. The optimal torrefaction conditions for producing high-quality torrefied cotton stalk pellets with high heating values and low PM emission in subsequent combustion applications are around 260°C with a low oxygen concentration of 0-6%.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hongyang Zuo, Kuo Zeng, Dian Zhong, Jun Li, Huaqian Xu, Yongwen Lu, Wang Lu, Hongyu Zhou, Gilles Flamant, Haiping Yang, Hanping Chen
Summary: A new packed-bed reactor with thermal energy storage (TES) is developed to improve the efficiency of solar pyrolysis of biomass. The model is formulated using heat and mass transfer balances and chemical kinetics, and solved numerically. The analysis shows that coupling TES reduces solar energy consumption by over 16% and decreases temperature fluctuation on the absorption surface by over 300 K. The storage component also stabilizes the pyrolysis process and decreases the variation of char yield by up to 50%.
Article
Thermodynamics
Juping Liu, Xu Chen, Wei Chen, Mingwei Xia, Yingquan Chen, Hanping Chen, Kuo Zeng, Haiping Yang
Summary: The utilization of biomass for energy sustainability and carbon neutrality is crucial. Pyrolysis is an efficient process to convert biomass into fuel gas, liquid oil, and solid char. Understanding the mechanism of biomass pyrolysis is necessary for its valuable and efficient utilization. This review summarizes recent progress in biomass pyrolysis properties, process, and product upgrading strategies, with a focus on high-value liquid fuels and carbon-bearing materials.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMBUSTION INSTITUTE
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Guang Yang, Qiang Hu, Junhao Hu, Haiping Yang, Shuhang Yan, Yingquan Chen, Xianhua Wang, Hanping Chen
Summary: Novel biochar-based nanocatalysts loaded with Ni/Ca/Fe nanoparticles were prepared by one-step impregnation method for catalytic steam gasification of biomass, which showed improved tar elimination and syngas production. The evenly distributed metal particles with a particle size of less than 20 nm were found to significantly increase H2 yield and tar conversion. Fe-loaded biochar exhibited the best catalytic gasification performance, with 87% tar conversion and 42.46 mmol/g H2 production, indicating its promising potential for hydrogen-rich syngas production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xiaopeng Shi, Biao Wang, Junhao Hu, Wei Chen, Chun Chang, Shusheng Pang, Pan Li
Summary: This study proposes a method for preparing value-added bio-products dominated by aromatic hydrocarbon bio-oil with high selectivity using microwave and char-based multi-catalysts (CMCs). Through experiments and comparisons of different catalysts' structural characteristics and pyrolysis properties, it was found that Zn-modified CMCs showed good selectivity for monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, while Zr-modified CMCs inhibited the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
