Biochar Product Applications Don Harfield, P.Eng., P.M.P Retired - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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

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.

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.

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

Biochar Quality Guidelines Biochar Quality Guidelines IBI 1 EBC 2 BQM 3 Biochar* General Characteristics  10 wt.%  50 wt.%  10 wt.% Organic Carbon Content  0.7  0.7  0.7 H:C org Classification Organic Carbon Contaminants Contaminants Criteria Class 1 :  60 wt.% Classes Premium Basic High Standard Class 2 :  30 wt.% grade grade grade grade and < 60 wt.% Class 3 :  10 wt.% and < 30 wt.% Toxicants  20  20 mg/kg 6 – 20 mg/kg PAHs 4 mg/kg 12 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) 0.2 – 0.5 mg/kg PCBs 0.2 mg/kg 0.2 mg/kg 0.5 mg/kg 0.5 mg/kg I- I-TEQ TEQ Metals (mg/kg) As 12 - 100 - - 10 100 Cd 1.4 - 39 1 1.5 3 39 64 -1200 80 90 15 100 Cr Cu 63 -1500 100 100 40 1500 Pb 70 - 500 120 150 60 500 Hg 1 - 17 1 1 1 17 Mo 5 - 20 - - 10 75 Ni 47 - 600 30 50 10 600 Se 1 - 36 - - 5 100 Zn 200 - 7000 400 400 150 2800 *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)

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)

Carbon Stability - Biochar

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.

Federal Regulations - CFIA

Air Terra Biochar - Specifications Biochar Average Result Air Terra Product Max. Allowable Min. Guarantee Concentration Proximate Analyses wt.% dry basis (db) Volatile Matter 8.5 %  25 % Ash 6.7 %  70 % Fixed Carbon 84.8 % IBI Class 1 (> 60 %)* Ultimate Analyses wt.% (db) C 84.56 % 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 1.6 mg/kg < 20 mg/kg IBI guideline* Hydrocarbons - PAHs Dioxins Not detected < 9 ng/kg IBI guideline* Furans Not detected < 9 ng/kg IBI guideline* Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls - Not detected < 0.5 mg/kg IBI guideline* PCBs Heavy Metals Within max. allowable Below CFIA T-4-093 standard conc. threshold

CFIA Labelling – Air Terra Example

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

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

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)

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

Economic Considerations  Biochar  Market price $ 500 - $ 1,000 / tonne (dry basis)  Increasing Product Availability (Canada, US)  Markets Being Developed  Activated Carbons  Market price $2000 + / tonne  Well defined product quality  Well established market and applications  Functionalized Biochar  Alternatives to Activated Carbons

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

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%

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

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

Carbon Sequestration Website Source: International Biochar Initiative

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)

Sources of Biochar & Biocarbon  *Air Terra - http://www.airterra.ca/  *Titan Clean Energy - https://www.titan-projects.com/  BC Biocarbon - https://www.bcbiocarbon.com/  Diacarbon - http://www.diacarbon.com/  Cool Planet - http://www.coolplanet.com/  *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) 

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