Tag: biochar

Carbon-negative bioplastic made from air, invasive plants turned into yoga mats, cultured chicken progress, renewable fiber innovations, and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of July 2nd

July 1, 2021 | Helena Tavares Kennedy

We’ve covered food made from air here, but Germany-based company Made of Air has developed a bioplastic derived from burnt plant and forestry waste, or biochar, that can be used in many ways. So far, H&M’s sunglasses and HexChar panels installed on the facade of an Audi dealership in Munich uses their carbon-negative bioplastic and […]

Iowa State researchers show biochar use to mitigate odors

November 24, 2020 | Meghan Sapp

In Iowa, a new study from Iowa State University shows that carbon-rich biochar could be used to mitigate many odors and potentially toxic volatile organic compounds emitted from swine manure. The research team tested two types of biochar with different characteristics: biochar from red oak and a highly alkaline, porous biochar made from corn stover. Three 30-day […]

Iowa State University researchers find biochar ideal for slow-release fertilizer

June 20, 2019 | Meghan Sapp

In Iowa, Iowa State University researchers weren’t looking for a slow-release fertilizer that could feed crops while protecting water quality, but they may have found one. Researchers looking to add value to biochar – a solid, porous co-product of heating corn stalks and other sources of biomass to produce liquid bio-oil in a process called […]

BioChar’s Buzzing and Cool Planet’s $20M cap raise is feeding it

March 23, 2017 | Jim Lane

In Colorado, Cool Planet has closed on $19.3 million in Series A financing and note conversion to commercialize its Cool Terra and Cool Fauna engineered biocarbon products. This latest round of funding was led by Agustín Coppel and North Bridge Venture Partners. All together, Cool Planet has raised nearly $30 million in the last 18 […]

An Overview of the current Biochar and Activated Carbon Markets

October 11, 2016 | Jim Lane

By Hugh McLaughlin, PhD, PE — Lee Enterprise Consulting, Inc. Special to The Digest Biochar is an emerging market; growing rapidly, still in its infancy, but with gigaton market potential when we, as in humanity, start addressing the climate crisis. Activated carbons are a mature market of about one million tons annual production, which is […]

BC Bioenergy Network turns toward biochar for Vancouver

February 24, 2014 | Isabel Lane

In Canada, the Pacific Institute of Climate Solutions’s recent publication, Industrial and Market Development of Biochar in BC, has been lauded by BC Bioenergy Network. “Over the past few years, the global biochar industry has been progressing towards commercial production facilities,” stated Michael Weedon, Executive Director of BC Bioenergy Network. “BC has natural hosting conditions […]

Spanish biochar demonstrates encouraging results for soil quality

December 29, 2013 | Isabel Lane

In Spain, researchers have developed a biochar blend to help improve the quality of soil and crop yields, which could be useful for the cultivation of biofuel feedstocks. The Spanish project has demonstrated encouraging results, as the biochar they have developed enhances the soil quality, moisture retention, and pH qualities. This type of blend would […]

Cool Planet launches Cool Terra biochar soil amendment

October 21, 2013 | Jim Lane

In Colorado, Cool Planet announced the launch of their biochar soil amendment product “Cool Terra” for commercial agricultural trials. Rick Wilson, Vice President of the Cool Planet Biochar Group, made the announcement at the 2013 US Biochar conference. It plans to continue expanding application opportunities with selected partners in the agricultural community leading to commercial […]

Biochar quiets microbes, including some plant pathogens

October 7, 2013 | Jim Lane

In Texas, Rice University scientists have used synthetic biology to study how a popular soil amendment called “biochar” can interfere with the chemical signals that some microbes use to communicate. The class of compounds studied includes those used by some plant pathogens to coordinate their attacks. Study co-author Joff Silberg, associate professor of biochemistry and […]

University of Kansas algal biomass process yields higher proportions of biochar

February 18, 2013 | Isabel Lane

In Kansas, University of Kansas has tested a hydtrothermal liquefaction integrated wastewater algea-to-biocrude process for cultivating algal biomass. The study influenced liquefaction product distribution to yield a higher proportion of biochar, a valuable co-product. “HTL uses subcritical water as the chemical driving force to convert biomass to a carbon-rich biocrude. Using microalgal feedstocks, biocrude yields […]