Char
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Bioenergy > Technologies > By-products > Char
Char, also known as agrichar (agri-char), biochar (bio-char), or biomass-derived black carbon, is a form of charcoal produced from biomass. Char is most commonly used as a fertilizer or soil amendment. Char may also have the potential to sequester large amounts of carbon in the soil. Much of the interest in char has been stimulated by research on terra preta, "dark earth" in the Amazon. While most soil in the Amazon is relatively infertile, there are large areas of deep, rich soil which were most likely created by agricultural communities over hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Citation needed
Publications
See books, reports, scientific papers, position papers and websites for additional useful resources.
- Black is the new green by Emma Marris; NATURE, Vol 442, 10 August 2006. Article explores the carbon sequestration and fertility benefits of using char produced as a by-product from gasification and other biofuel production technologies.
- An Inventory Of Data, For Reconstructing 'Natural Steady State' Carbon Storage In Terrestrial Ecosystems by Jonathan Adams, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This webpage provides an inventory of data on carbon sinks in various ecosystems.
Websites
- Terrapreta.bioenergylists.org - A website devoted to discussions on char, also known as terra preta, a Portugese expression meaning dark earth.
- Cornell University Bio-Char page - a website by a Cornell professor of biogeochemistry on the properties and possibilities of char, or bio-char.
- International Biochar Initiative
Events
- 29 April - 2 May 2007, Terrigal, New South Wales, Australia: International Agrichar Initiative 2007 Conference.
| By-products of bioenergy production | edit | |
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Ethanol production: Dried Distillers Grains (DDG) | Wet Distillers Grains | Bagasse | ||
| Charcoal | edit | |
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Char (Agrichar/Biochar) (International Biochar Initiative) | ||
| Bioenergy conversion technologies | edit | |
| Technologies categorized by bioenergy processes: Biochemical: Aerobic, Anaerobic, Landfill gas collection (LFG), Biodiesel production, Ethanol production Technologies categorized by feedstock: Technologies by commercialization status: Analysis of technologies: Life-cycle analysis | ||
