Biochar physicochemical parameters as a result of feedstock material and pyrolysis temperature: predictable for the fate of biochar in soil?

Abstract

Biochar application is a widely investigated topic nowadays, and precisely described biochar parameters are key information for the understanding of its behaviour in soil and other media. Pore structure and surface properties determine biochar fate. However, there is lack of complex, investigative studies describing the influence of biomass properties and pyrolysis conditions on the pore structure of biochars. The aim of our study was to evaluate a wide range of gathered agriculture residues and elevated pyrolysis temperature on the biochar surface properties and pore composition, predicting biochar behaviour in the soil. The biomass of herbaceous and wood plants was treated by slow pyrolysis, with the final temperature ranging from 400 to 600°C. Specific surface ranged from 124 to 511cm2g-1 at wood biochar and from 3.19 to 192cm2g-1 at herbaceous biochar. The main properties influencing biochar pore composition were increasing pyrolysis temperatures and lignin (logarithmically) and ash contents (linearly) of biomass. Increasing lignin contents and pyrolysis temperatures caused the highest biochar micropore volume. The total biochar pore volume was higher of wood biomass (0.08-0.3cm-3g-1). Biochars of wood origin were characterised by skeletal density ranging from 1.479 to 2.015cm3g-1 and herbaceous ones 1.506-1.943cm3g-1, and the envelope density reached 0.982cm3g-1 at biochar of wheat grain origin and was generally higher at biochars of herbaceous origin. Density was not pyrolysis temperature dependent.