biochar tagged posts

Engineers in Australia have found a way of making stronger concrete with roasted used-coffee grounds, to give the drink-additive a “double shot” at life and reduce waste going to landfills.

Lead author Dr. Rajeev Roychand from RMIT University said the team developed a technique to make concrete 30% stronger by turning waste coffee grounds into biochar, using a low-energy process without oxygen at 350 degrees Celsius.

“The disposal of organic waste poses an environmental challenge as it emits large amounts of greenhouse gases including methane and carbon dioxide, which contribute to climate change,” said Roychand, from the School of Engineering.

Australia generates 75 million ki...

As the world’s energy demands increase, so does our consumption of fossil fuels. The result is a massive rise in greenhouse gases emissions with severely adverse environmental effects. To address this, scientists have been searching for alternative, renewable sources of energy.

A main candidate is hydrogen produced from organic waste, or biomass, of plants and animals. Biomass also absorbs, removes and stores CO2 from the atmosphere, while biomass decomposition can lead to negative emissions or greenhouse gas removal. But even though biomass heralds a way forward, there is still the question of the best way to maximize its conversion into energy.

Biomass gasification

There are currently two main methods for converting biomass into energy: gasification and pyrolysis...

Under a microscope, root hairs grow into pyrogenic carbon particle, which enhance electron networks. Plants grow more efficiently than previously thought. Credit: Kelly Hanley/Lehmann Lab

All plants need electrons to aid biological and chemical tasks. Cornell scientists have discovered a new high-definition system that allows electrons to travel through soil farther and more efficiently than previously thought. “Microorganisms need electrons for everything they do. If they consume nutrients or spew out methane or expel carbon dioxide for any living, biological process they need electrons,” said Tianran Sun, postdoctoral researcher in soil and crop sciences.

Like large volumes of electricity that flow from Niagara Falls throughout upstate New York, electrons convey through soil via carbon...