Biomass Carbonization - Production and Characterization of Biochar from Rice Husks

The present work had the objective to produce and characterize charcoal from rice husks. The rice husk was generated in a Top-lit updraft reactor. This process was favorable for biochar production. By increasing the airflow from 12 to 24 L/min, the reaction temperature increased from 714 to 935 ° C (R
²
= 0.90), respectively. Similarly, the average productivity varied from 29.35 and 20.69 % between the minimum and maximum flows, respectively. This indicated that a higher reaction temperature demanded a greater amount of biomass to reach at higher temperatures. Similarly, it was evidenced that the airflow produced an effect on the physicochemical properties of the biochar produced. For example: the phosphorus concentration increased from 0.43 to 1.12% (R
²
=0.47) when the air flow increased from 12 to 24 L/min. Additionally, the potassium content, organic carbon and manganese also increased as the airflow increased. Finally, it was observed that the biochars produced had a high alkalinity pH> 9.3 for all the airflows considered. These results indicated that the biochar produced can be implemented for the improvement of degraded soils.