Physico – chemical characterization of Biochar products from Jatropha curcas L. shells, press cake and solid biogas digestate
- Publication Type
- Contribution to conference
- Authors
- Karaj, S; Chaiwong, K; Maurer, C; Meissner, K; Kiatsiriroat, T; Müller, J
- Year of publication
- 2011
- Conference name
- Asia Pacific Biochar Konference 2011
- Conference location
- Kyoto, Japan
- Conference date
- 15 - 18 September 2011
- Keywords
- Jatropha
Biochar is the solid product gained from thermo - chemical process. Biochar can be produced from biological materials such as wood and wood waste, energy crops, aquatic plants, and their waste by-products [1, 4].
The common thermo-chemical process used for biochar production is the pyrolysis, where thermal energy reacts with biomass under O2 limiting control and produces biochar [2].
The pyrolysis can be classified based on different variables such as temperature reactor control, kind of biomass, particle size, biomass flow rate and heating rate, where heating rate could be classified into slow pyrolysis and fast pyrolysis [2]. In general under the condition of slow pyrolysis is achieved maximum yield of biochar, the reaction at lower to medium pyrolyse temperature (450 – 650 °C) and slower heating rate [3, 4, 5].
The objective of this study was to investigate the physical and chemical parameters of biochar produced from Jatropha curcas L. shells, press cake residues and solid biogas digestate. Biochar apparatus was constructed at Universität Hohenheim and via muffle oven pyrolyse process was conducted. Four different temperatures (300 °C, 500 °C, 700 °C and 900 °C) and three different N² - ratios (100 cm³ min-1, 150 cm³ min-1 and 200 cm³ min-1) were alternated with J. curcas shells (JSH), J. curcas press cake (JPC) and solid biogas digestate (SBD).