Hydrochar: Productions, Properties and Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 3807

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Chemical Sciences Department, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick V94 T9PX, Ireland
Interests: biorefinery; theorem-chemical biowaste conversion; adsorption; nutrients recovery; catalyses
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a process that uses wet biomass at a moderate temperature, between 180 and 250 °C, and autogenic pressure. HTC reduces the oxygen and hydrogen contents in the organic material, mainly due to dehydration and decarboxylation reactions taking place in aqueous medium. Hydrochar is a residue product of the HTC and is a carbon-rich material generated from carbon reaching solid sources under controlled conditions. Hydrochar has received increasing attention due to its unique structure and properties that can be modified during or after its production. Its first applications, such as soil amendments and carbon sequesters, have been significantly extended to other areas including sorption, metal immobilization, leaching, and greenhouse gas emission. A number of aspects, including hydrochar production, properties, and applications, need to be studied due to a variety of source materials; process types and conditions; types of reactors; the physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms involved; and its composition and further interactions with other substances. Analyses need to be made including, but not restricted to, the following: reaction mechanism, response of soil bacterial community to hydrochar addition, potential risk, application strategies and possibilities, cost-effectiveness, bioavailability, physical and chemical activation, nutrient leaching, and sorption and desorption mechanisms.

Taking into account all of the above, this Special Issue is dedicated to topics related to hydrochar productions, properties, and applications, including technical, scientific, economic, and environmental topics.

Dr. Witold Kwapinski
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bio-waste
  • energy
  • carbon sequestration
  • sledges conversion
  • waste decomposition
  • environment
  • policy
  • regulations
  • life cycle assessment
  • leaching
  • nutrition

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 5016 KiB  
Article
Application of Hydrochar, Digestate, and Synthetic Fertilizer to a Miscanthus x giganteus Crop: Implications for Biomass and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
by Toby Adjuik, Abbey M. Rodjom, Kimberley E. Miller, M. Toufiq M. Reza and Sarah C. Davis
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(24), 8953; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10248953 - 15 Dec 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3195
Abstract
Miscanthus x giganteus (miscanthus), a perennial biomass crop, allocates more carbon belowground and typically has lower soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than conventional feedstock crops, but best practices for nutrient management that maximize yield while minimizing soil GHG emissions are still debated. This [...] Read more.
Miscanthus x giganteus (miscanthus), a perennial biomass crop, allocates more carbon belowground and typically has lower soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than conventional feedstock crops, but best practices for nutrient management that maximize yield while minimizing soil GHG emissions are still debated. This study evaluated the effects of four different fertilization treatments (digestate from a biodigester, synthetic fertilizer (urea), hydrochar from the hydrothermal carbonization of digestate, and a control) on soil GHG emissions and biomass yield of an established miscanthus stand grown on abandoned agricultural land. Soil GHG fluxes (including CH4, CO2, and N2O) were sampled in all treatments using the static chamber methodology. Average biomass yield varied from 20.2 Mg ha−1 to 23.5 Mg ha−1, but there were no significant differences among the four treatments (p > 0.05). The hydrochar treatment reduced mean CO2 emissions by 34% compared to the control treatment, but this difference was only statistically significant in one of the two sites tested. Applying digestate to miscanthus resulted in a CH4 efflux from the soil in one of two sites, while soils treated with urea and hydrochar acted as CH4 sinks in both sites. Overall, fertilization did not significantly improve biomass yield, but hydrochar as a soil amendment has potential for reducing soil GHG fluxes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrochar: Productions, Properties and Applications)
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