Biochar and biofuels
by Lewis, 20 April, 2013, 1 comments
Broadly speaking, Biochar is charcoal that is not used for heating, barbecues or blacksmithing. It is charcoal that is (often) used for soil improvement and carbon sequestration.
Charcoal is created by pyrolysis – that is, the incomplete burning of wood or biomass when oxygen /air is restricted. Typically, full-time charcoal producers have a large, steel kiln* about three metres in diameter and over a metre in height. This is loaded up with wood, mostly hardwoods such as oak, which have a very slow burn. The kiln is then sealed with a large lid. To make charcoal, the burn must be slow and incomplete so that the wood dries out and its structure and capacity for burning remains. This process – converting wood to charcoal – takes some 14-16 hours and produces ready-to-use lumps of charcoal. To watch the process of charcoal making, visit woodlands TV. Read more...
