Developing rapid tools for characterising biochar carbon

stabilitySteve Kimber,

Andy Cross, Steve Morris, Stephen Joseph, Saran Sohi, Lukas Van Zwieten

Benefits of biochar ?

Long term carbon sequestration– Biochar carbon essentially “inert”

Possibility of “priming” for loss of native soil carbon– Reduction in or negation of benefit

Agronomic benefit– Changes in soil chemistry and biology

Dry and grind biochar (105°C, 0.5mm) Incubate

– Sterile quartz sand– Microbial inoculant and micronutrients– 65% water holding capacity– 30°C for 14 days

Trap and measure CO2 on soda lime

Sample preparation; labile vs stable carbon, UK Biochar centre

Biochars used in this study

Green waste biochar #

– 350°C– 450°C– 550°C

Chicken manure*– 450°C– 550°C

Oil mallee *– 450°C– 550°C

Wheat chaff *– 450°C– 550°C

# Biochars courtesy of Pacific Pyrolysis* Biochars courtesy of DAFF National biocharproject

Biochar properties

Biochar Total C Total N

Green waste 350 54 0.05

Green waste 450 73 0.16

Green waste 550 79 0.10

Chicken litter 450 50 1.56

Chicken litter 550 43 1.77

Oil Mallee 450 59 0.25

Oil Mallee 550 72 0.33

Wheat chaff 450 57 2.34

Wheat chaff 550 56 2.00

350 400 450 500 55040

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

Total CT

ota

l C

(%

)

Temperature

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5 Total N

To

tal

N (

%)

450 500 55040

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

Total C

To

tal

C (

%)

Temperature

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5 Total N

To

tal

N (

%)

OM 450 OM 55040

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

Total C

To

tal

C (

%)

Temperature

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Total N

To

tal

N (

%)

WC 450 WC 55040

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

Total C

To

tal

C (

%)

Temperature

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5 Total N

To

tal

N (

%)

Green wastePoultry litter

Wheat chaff

Oil mallee

Labile carbon content of biochars

GW 350

GW 450

GW 550CM 450

CM 550

OM 450

OM 550

WC 450

WC 550

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2L

ab

ile c

arb

on

%

Our capabilities and approach

EGA / MS

Thermal desorption / cryofocussing / GC-MS

Pyrolysis / cryofocussing / GC-MS

Pyrolyser – GC-MS

Frontier Laboratories’ 2020iD multi-function pyrolyzer

Sample preparation; Py-GC-MS

Mix Sub-sample Freeze dry Grind Sub-sample 3mg sample of biochar analysed

EGA

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

0

2000000

4000000

6000000

8000000

10000000

Green Waste biochar 350 Green Waste biochar 450 Green Waste biochar 550

Re

lativ

e r

esp

on

se

EGA Temperature (C)

EGA

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

Chicken Manure 450 Chicken Manure 550

Re

lativ

e r

esp

on

se

EGA Temperature

EGA

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Oil Mallee 450 Oil Mallee 550

Re

lativ

e r

esp

on

se

EGA Temperature (C)

EGA

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Wheat Chaff biochar 450 Wheat Chaff biochar 550

Re

lativ

e r

esp

on

se

EGA Temperature (C)

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 1.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 3.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 5.D

Green waste; Thermal desorption

350

450

550

Chicken litter; Thermal desorption

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 7.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 9.D

450

550

Oil Mallee; Thermal desorption

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 11.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 13.D

450

550

Wheat Chaff; Thermal desorption

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 15.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 17.D

450

550

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 2.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 4.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 6.D

Green waste; Pyrolysis

Chicken litter; Pyrolysis

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 8.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 10.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 12.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 14.D

Oil mallee; Pyrolysis

Wheat chaff; Pyrolysis

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 16.D

2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: 16.D