Biochar Preparation by Different Thermo-Chemical Conversion Processes

Conversion of biomass into char has been practiced for centuries and millennia as a way to produce charcoal for cooking or smelting of metals. This relied on simple production processes with low efficiency and poor productivity until the end of the nineteenth century when industrial charcoal production was established. Today, a diverse range of technologies for thermo-chemical conversion of biomass exists, all of which have the potential to produce biochar. In the past decade, a number of designs specifically aimed at biochar production emerged at small and medium scale, driven by the growing interest in biochar as means for atmospheric carbon removal and sequestration. This chapter provides a brief overview of the different approaches to biochar production, identifying key opportunities and challenges, as well as future directions for research, development, and deployment.