2013 journal article
Effect of pH on surface characteristics of switchgrass-derived biochars produced by fast pyrolysis
Chemosphere, 90(10), 2623–2630.
author keywords: Chemical weathering; Biochars; Fast pyrolysis; Surface functionality; Potential cation exchange capacity
MeSH headings : Adsorption; Charcoal / chemistry; Gases / chemistry; Hot Temperature; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Minerals / chemistry; Principal Component Analysis; Soil / chemistry; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Surface Properties; Water / chemistry
TL;DR:
It is predicted that soil-incorporated biochars will slowly release nutrients with changes in surface functionality and porosity, which are expected to enhance water holding capacity of soil and provide a beneficial habitat for microbial colonization.
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UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
(OpenAlex)
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Added: March 5, 2020
Surface properties of switchgrass-derived biochars produced at fast pyrolysis temperatures of 450, 600 and 800 °C were characterized at different solution pHs in order to determine the structural and chemical changes of artificially-weathered biochars when incorporated into soil. As biochars were acidified from pH 7 to 3, crystalline minerals dissolved slowly releasing nutrients; however, residual minerals were still detected in biochars produced at higher pyrolysis temperatures after pH treatment. Moreover, the amount of exchangeable bases and other inorganic compounds released from the biochars increased when pH decreased. As minerals dissolved from the biochars, total surface area and pore volume were found to increase. Surface functional groups and water vapor adsorption capacity at 0.8 P/Po also increased, whereas the potential CEC of biochars decreased due to the replacement of exchangeable sites by hydrogen ion. Therefore, during the aging process, it is predicted that soil-incorporated biochars will slowly release nutrients with changes in surface functionality and porosity, which are expected to enhance water holding capacity of soil and provide a beneficial habitat for microbial colonization.