Chemical Properties of Biochar Materials Manufactured from Agricultural Products Common to the Southeast United States
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
advantages and disadvantages, re- Chemical Properties of Biochar Materials searchers worldwide are working on Manufactured from Agricultural Products optimizing and evaluating biomass conversion processes to improve Common to the Southeast United States quality and performance of biomass- based production of fuels, chemicals, 1,5 2 3 and biochar. Specific and unique Michael R. Evans , Brian E. Jackson , Michael Popp , properties of each biochar product and Sammy Sadaka4 depended on the properties of the original feedstock material (Altland, 2014) and method of production ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity, employed (Spokas et al., 2012). It growing media, pH, substrates has been reported that the higher SUMMARY. The use of biochar as a soil amendment has fostered much attention in the temperature, the smaller and recent years due to its potential of improving the chemical, physical, and biological more porous the resulting biochar properties of agricultural soils and/or soilless substrates. The objective of this study particles became (Kloss et al., 2012). was to evaluate the chemical properties of feedstocks, common in the southeast These smaller particles tended to United States, and their resulting biochar products (after being torrefied) and have proportionally more surface area determine if the chemical properties were within suitable ranges for growers to use (Shackley et al., 2013) which had the biochar products as root substrate components. Poultry litter biochar produced ° benefits such as an increased CEC. at 400 C for 2 hours had a higher total phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium Due to its high carbon concen- (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), chloride (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), sodium (Na), and zinc (Zn) concentration than biochar tration, biochar has the potential to made using the same process with mixed hard wood species, miscanthus (Miscanthus be used in a number of applica- capensis), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) gin trash, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), tions including soil conditioning, rice (Oryza sativa) hull, and pine (Pinus sp.) shavings feedstocks. The pH of the as activated carbon or in chemical biochar products ranged from 4.6 for pine shaving biochar to 9.3 for miscanthus manufacturing. The application of biochar. The electrical conductivity (EC) ranged from 0.1 dSÁmL1 for mixed biochar to soils contributed to the L hardwood biochar to 30.3 dSÁm 1 for poultry litter biochar. The cation exchange sequestration of carbon from the capacity (CEC) of the biochar products ranged from a low of 0.09 meq/g for mixed atmosphere, since carbon captured hardwood biochar to a high of 19.0 meq/g for poultry litter biochar. The water- from the environment by the biomass extractable nitrate, P, K, Ca, Mg, sulfate, boron, Cl, Cu, Fe, Mo, Na, and Zn were was shown to be retained in the soil higher in poultry litter biochar than in all of the other types of biochar. The high EC and mineral element concentration of the poultry litter biochar would prevent its (Manya, 2012). Wood contained use in root substrates except in very small amounts. In addition, the high degree of around 50% carbon that increased to variability in chemical properties among all of the biochar products would require 70% to 80% once it was processed to users to know the specific properties of any biochar product they used in a soil or biochar. This carbon could be stored soilless substrate. Modifications to traditional limestone additions and fertility from the atmosphere when applied programs may also need to be tested and monitored to compensate for the biochar to the soil (Winsley, 2007). In addi- pH and mineral nutrient availability. Users should be aware that biochar products tion, the utilization of biochar im- made from different feedstocks can have very different chemical properties even if proved the quality of the soil because the same process was used to manufacture them. of its sorption qualities that helped to retain nutrients and nitrogen (Ippolito iochar is a term that refers to atmosphere (Lehmann and Joseph, et al., 2012). a black carbon-rich material 2009) and is generally considered to The components of horticultural Bthat is produced from or- be similar to charcoal. There are dif- substrates used in commercial green- ganic matter at temperatures lower ferent processes used to make bio- house and nursery operations can be than 700 °C in an oxygen-limited char, including pyrolysis, gasification, a major production cost, as most and torrefaction, and these processes customary components are com- This project was supported by the University of may differ in temperature, residency monly shipped from outside the Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. time, and oxygen availability. Al- United States or manufactured sub- 1Department of Horticulture, University of Arkansas though different processes have their strates are transported significant System Division of Agriculture, 318 Plant Sciences Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701 2Department of Horticultural Science, North Caro- lina State University, 130 Kilgore Hall, Raleigh, NC Units 27695 To convert U.S. To convert SI to 3Department of Agricultural Business and Agricul- to SI, multiply by U.S. unit SI unit U.S., multiply by tural Economics, University of Arkansas System 29.5735 fl oz mL 0.0338 Division of Agriculture, 217 Agriculture Hall, Fayet- teville, AR 72701 3.7854 gal L 0.2642 25.4 inch(es) mm 0.0394 4 Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, 1 meq/g molÁkg–1 1 University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture— 1 mmho/cm dSÁm–1 1 Extension, 2301 South University Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72204 28.3495 oz g 0.0353 28,350 oz mg 3.5274 · 10–5 5 Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. 1 ppm mgÁL–1 1 doi: 10.21273/HORTTECH03481-16 (°F – 32) O 1.8 °F °C(°C · 1.8) + 32 16 • February 2017 27(1) distances from the production facility with those grown in coconut coir Feedstocks were then transported to to the end user. Interest in using fiber alone (Graber et al., 2010). the bioenergy laboratory at the Rice biochar for horticultural purposes Those authors speculated that the Research and Extension Center, Uni- has increased substantially in recent improved plant growth was a result versity of Arkansas System Division of years due to its potential as a low-cost of the biochar stimulating the benefi- Agriculture (Stuttgart, AR). substrate component. In particular, cial plant growth promoting rhizo- The biochar was produced in biochar products have been shown bacteria populations or due to 1-gal cylindrical metal containers filled to be a potential replacement for hormesis (positive plant growth re- with feedstock samples and placed in perlite in greenhouse substrates sponse to low doses of phytotoxic or a controllable muffle furnace (model (Northup, 2013), because it is light- biocidal chemicals) caused by the 3-1750; Neytech Vulcan, Bloomfield, weight, porous, and thought to have biochar. Red oak (Quercus rubra) CT). Each container was loaded with potential cost-saving benefits over biochar added to peat or peat- 400 g of raw feedstock before tightly perlite. Other reported benefits of vermiculite substrates resulted in an securing the lid allowing only the using biochar products in substrates increased shoot biomass of hybrid evolved volatiles to escape through include the potential of increasing poplar (Populus sp.) cuttings as a re- 3-mm vents on the lid. In this study, CEC (Nemati et al., 2015) and rhizo- sult of increased nutrient concentra- the evolved volatiles were not col- sphere biology (Graber et al., 2010). tions and availability due to the high lected nor quantified. Before placing Numerous researchers have eval- CEC and initial nutrient content of the containers in the furnace, they uated the use of biochar and products the biochar (Headlee et al., 2014). In were purged with nitrogen (N) gas similar to biochar as substrate com- contrast, Northup (2013) reported through one of the 3-mm vents for ponents and have reported mixed re- that the incorporation of hardwood- 10 min to ensure minimal oxidation of sults. Coal cinders were evaluated as produced biochar into the substrate the feedstock. The furnace tempera- components in substrates to enhance resulted in either no effect or decreased ture and the residence time were set at the physical and chemical properties growth of pepper, tomato (Solanum 400 °C and 2 h, respectively. The of a pine bark nursery substrate (Neal lycopersicum), cucumber (Cucumis sat- feedstocks were placed into the and Wagner, 1983) and again as ivus), marigold (Tagetes patula), and heated furnace once the desired tem- a component in the growth of azalea petunia (Petunia ·atkinsiana). perature level was achieved. After [Rhododendron obtusum (Wagner and There are conflicting reports on retrieval from the heated furnace, Neal, 1984)]. Coal cinders were the potential for biochar to be used as containers were immediately covered found to contain high concentrations a soilless substrate component. This with aluminum foil to prevent bio- of heavy metals, which limited their could be due to the wide range of char oxidation and were allowed to use in substrates even though plant biomass materials used to produce cool. growth trials proved to be successful biochar, which may alter the proper- The original feedstocks and their with up to 50% (by volume) cinder ties of the final product. Any biochar resulting biochar products were sent incorporation. Regulski (1984) products that are to be used in hor- to a commercial laboratory for analy- reported the use of a gasifier residue ticultural substrates must have chemical sis (MMI Laboratories, Athens, GA). as an amendment in a pine bark sub- properties within acceptable ranges Two types of analyses were conducted strate to have reduced shrinkage, for such use. Therefore, the objective on the feedstocks and biochar prod- compared with the pine bark control, of this study was to evaluate the ucts.