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AssigneeCool Planet Energy Systems, Inc.
InventorsRanko Bontchev, Han Suk Kim, Richard W. Wilson, Richard Wilson Belcher, Cameron Cheyne, Leo E. Manzer, Mark L. Jarand, Haijun Wan, Rajashekharam Malyala
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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.
A plurality of porous carbonaceous particles where at least 75% of the particles, measured by weight or volume, have a particle size less than or equal to 10 mm and where the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles have been treated to have at least 25% of the pores, by volume, filled with an additive;
A plurality of porous carbonaceous particles where at least 75% of the particles have a particle size less than or equal to 10 mm and where the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles exhibit weight loss of more than 1% in the interval between 43 and 60° C. when performing the Bontchev-Cheyne Test.
A plurality of porous carbonaceous particles where at least 75% of the porous carbonaceous particles, measured by weight or volume, have a particle size less than or equal to 10 mm and where the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles have been treated by infusing a liquid into at least 25% of the pores by volume, of the plurality of pores of the porous carbonaceous particles;
A plurality of porous carbonaceous particles where the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles contains at least 55% carbon by weight, and where the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles have (i) at least 70% of pores, by volume, measure less than 50,000 nanometers using mercury porosimetry testing, (ii) a hydrophobicity of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles under the MED test method has an index of 4 or less, and (iii) a dioxin content of the plurality of porous carbonaceous particles meets the EU Feed limit of less than 0.75 ng/kg WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ//kg.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.