# US 11,111,185 B2 · Enhanced biochar

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- Number: US 11,111,185 B2
- Document ID: US11111185B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/406,986
- Filed: 2019-05-08
- Published: 2019-12-05
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-01
- Assignees: Carbon Technology Holdings, LLC
- Applicants: Carbon Technology Holdings, LLC
- Inventors: Ranko Bontchev; Han Suk Kim; Richard W. Wilson; Richard Wilson Belcher; Cameron Cheyne; Leo E. Manzer; Mark L. Jarand; Haijun Wan; Rajashekharam Malyala
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111185B2

## CPC

- A01N 61/00: Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing substances of unknown or undetermined composition, e.g. substances characterised only by the mode of action
- C05D 9/00: Other inorganic fertilisers
- A01N 25/08: containing solids as carriers or diluents
- C01B 32/05: Preparation or purification of carbon not covered by groups C01B32/15, C01B32/20, C01B32/25, C01B32/30
- C05F 11/00: Other organic fertilisers
- C05F 11/02: from peat, brown coal, and similar vegetable deposits
- C05F 11/08: Organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia or the like
- C05G 1/00: Mixtures of fertilisers belonging individually to different subclasses of C05
- C05G 3/00: Mixtures of one or more fertilisers with additives not having a specially fertilising activity
- C05G 3/80: Soil conditioners
- C09K 17/02: containing inorganic compounds only
- C09K 17/04: applied in a physical form other than a solution or a grout, e.g. as granules or gases
- C10B 53/02: of cellulose-containing material (production of pyroligneous acid C10C5/00)
- C10B 57/02: Multi-step carbonising or coking processes
- C05D 9/02: containing trace elements
- Y02A 40/22: Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- Y02E 50/30: Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
- Y02P 60/21: Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures
- Y10S 71/903: Soil conditioner
- A01N: PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF (preservation of food or foodstuff A23); BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES (preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes which kill or prevent the growth or proliferation of unwanted organisms A61K); PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS
- C05D: INORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C; FERTILISERS PRODUCING CARBON DIOXIDE
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- C05F: ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE
- C05G: MIXTURES OF FERTILISERS COVERED INDIVIDUALLY BY DIFFERENT SUBCLASSES OF CLASS C05; MIXTURES OF ONE OR MORE FERTILISERS WITH MATERIALS NOT HAVING A SPECIFIC FERTILISING ACTIVITY, e.g. PESTICIDES, SOIL-CONDITIONERS, WETTING AGENTS (organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia, or the like C05F11/08; organic fertilisers containing plant vitamins or hormones C05F11/10); FERTILISERS CHARACTERISED BY THEIR FORM
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- C10B: DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FOR PRODUCTION OF GAS, COKE, TAR, OR SIMILAR MATERIALS (cracking oils C10G; underground gasification of minerals E21B43/295)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

Biochar is provided that is treated to have certain chemical and physical properties found to have the highest impact on plant growth and/or soil health. In particular, the following physical and/or chemical properties, among others, of a biochar have been identified as critical properties to control for in the selection of biomass feedstock, pyrolysis conditions, and/or enhancing treatment to increase biochar performance: (i) bulk density (ii) impregnation capacity; (iii) particle size distribution; (iv) solid particle density; (v) surface area; (vi) porosity; (vii) total porosity; (viii) ratio of macroporosity to total porosity (ix) content of residual organic compounds; (x) content of volatile organic compounds; (xii) ash content; (xiii) water holding capacity; (xiv) water retention capabilities; (xv) levels of dioxins and other potentially hazardous byproducts of pyrolysis; and (xvi) pH. Treatment can modify and preferably increase hydrophilicity/decrease hydrophobicity, remove dioxins from the raw biochar, modify electrical conductivity and/or surface charge, modify cation exchange capacity and modify anion exchange capacity, among other things.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plurality of porous carbonaceous particles, where a hydrophobicity of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles under the molarity of ethanol drop (MED) test method has an index of at most 5.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein at least 75% of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles, measured by weight or volume, have a particle size of at most 10 mm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises pores, and wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles has been treated to have at least 10% of the pores, by volume, filled with an infiltrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises at least 55% carbon by weight.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the bulk density of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles measured by weight, is at least 0.1 and at most 0.6 g/cm3.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises a ratio of macropore volume to total pore volume of at least 50%.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprise at most 5% by weight of volatile organic compounds.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises a cation exchange capacity of at least 5 milliequ/l.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises an anion exchange capacity of at least 5 milliequ/l.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises a water holding capacity of at least 30% by weight.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises pores, and wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles has been treated by rapidly infusing an additive into the pores of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles using a vacuum processing treatment.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises pores, and wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles has been treated by infusing an additive into the pores of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles using a surfactant infusion treatment.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises pores, and wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles has been treated by infusing an additive into the pores of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles, and wherein the infusing comprises a surfactant infusion treatment and a vacuum infusion treatment.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 1, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises pores, and wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles has been treated by infusing an additive into the pores, and wherein the additive is a soil enhancing agent selected from the group consisting of water, water solutions of salts, inorganic and organic liquids of different polarities, liquid organic compounds or combinations of organic compounds and solvents, mineral and organic oils, slurries and suspensions, supercritical liquids, fertilizers, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, free-living and nodule-forming nitrogen fixing bacteria, organic decomposers, nitrifying bacteria, phosphate solubilizing bacteria, biocontrol agents, bioremediation agents, saprotrophic fungi, ectomycorrhizae, and endomycorrhizae.

### Claim 15

A plurality of porous carbonaceous particles, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles exhibits weight loss of more than at least 1% in the interval between 43° C. and 60° C. when performing the Bontchev-Cheyne Test.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 15, wherein at least 75% of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles have a particle size of at most 10 mm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 15, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises a ratio of macropore volume to total pore volume of at least 50%.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 15, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles has comprises a water holding capacity of at least 30% by weight.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 15, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises pores, and wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles has been treated by rapidly infusing a liquid into the pores of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 19, wherein the treatment for rapidly infusing the liquid into the pores of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles is a vacuum processing treatment.

### Claim 21

A plurality of porous carbonaceous particles, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles meets EU Feed limit for dioxins of at most 0.75 ng/kg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ//kg.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 21, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises pores, and wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles has been treated to have at least 10% of the pores, by volume, infused with an infiltrate.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 21, wherein at least 75% of the porous carbonaceous particles, measured by weight or volume, have a particle size of at most 10 mm.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 21, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises at least 55% carbon by weight.

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The plurality of porous carbonaceous particles of claim 21, wherein the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles comprises pores, and wherein greater than 75% of the pores, by volume, measure less than 50,000 nanometers using mercury porosimetry testing.