Biochar is the organic solid char product from biomass thermal treatment in an oxygen-free atmosphere. It has many potential uses, including as an adsorbent for pollutant removal, soil amendment, fertilisation, and green infrastructure. Biochar can be generated from a variety of different feedstocks, including wastewater treatment sludge.
The aim of this project is to evaluate pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonisation technologies for valorising wastewater treatment sludge into biochar. The performance of the technologies and the quality of the biochar products in terms of mineral content, organic carbon content, nutrient content (i.e. phosphorus and nitrogen), harmful chemicals content, and physical structure (surface area, pore size) will be evaluated for their use in agricultural and other applications.
This project is in collaboration with Watercare.
Undergraduate
None
No lab has been assigned to this project