Biochars and biochar treatment processes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10023503-B2
Application number	US-201615213122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2016
Priority date	Jun 6, 2011
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

Treated biochar and methods for treating biochar are provided. The method for treating the biochar includes forcing, assisting or accelerating the movement of an infiltrant into the pores of the biochar, whereby the treatment affects properties of the biochar that provide for a more reliable and predictable biochar for use in various applications, including, but not limited to, agricultural applications.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for treating a porous carbonaceous material having pores, the method comprising the steps of:
placing the porous carbonaceous material in a tank, where the porous carbonaceous material is made of particles having a diameter greater than 0.037 mm;
adding a solution to the tank, where the solution contains a surfactant; and
mixing the solution with the porous carbonaceous material.

2. The method of claim 1 where the solution is a liquid solution containing 0.1-20% surfactant.

3. The method of claim 2 where the surfactant is a yucca extract.

4. The method of claim 2 where the solution further includes an additive.

5. The method of claim 4 where the additive is selected from the group consisting of water, liquid inorganic and organic compounds of different composition and polarity, water solutions of salts, water solutions of acids, water solutions of bases, water solutions of organic compounds, water solutions of inorganic compounds, liquid organic compounds, liquid inorganic compounds, solvents, mineral oils, organic oils, turpentine, olive oil, palm oil, mineral extracts, organic extracts, extracts containing organic compounds, extracts of inorganic compounds, slurries, suspensions, slurries comprising solid phases including inorganic oxides, hydroxides, salts, organometallic complexes, nano-dispersed solids, micro-dispersed solids, carbon-based clusters, and fine particles, and supercritical liquids.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of moisture adjusting the porous carbonaceous material by at least partially drying the porous carbonaceous material.

7. The method of claim 6 where the step of moisture adjusting the porous carbonaceous material is performed by pulling a vacuum on the tank, applying positive pressure on the content of the tank, heating the content of the tank, applying centrifugal force and/or creating a pressure gradient in the tank to remove excess liquid.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of inoculating the pores of the porous carbonaceous material with an additive.

9. The method of claim 8 where the porous carbonaceous material is inoculated by placing the porous carbonaceous material in a tank; adding inoculate solution to the tank; and impregnating at least a portion of the pore volume of the pores of the porous carbonaceous material with an infiltrate.

10. The method of claim 9 where the step of impregnating at least a portion of the pore volume of the pores of the porous carbonaceous material with an infiltrate includes forcing the infiltrate into the pores of the porous carbonaceous material by changing the pressure in the tank, using a surfactant or both.

11. A method for treating a porous carbonaceous material having pores, the method comprising the steps of:
placing the porous carbonaceous material in a tank;
adding a solution to the tank, where the solution contains a yucca extract; and
mixing the solution with the porous carbonaceous material.

12. The method of claim 11 where the solution is a liquid solution containing 0.1-20% of the yucca extract.

13. The method of claim 11 where the solution further includes an additive.

14. The method of claim 13 where the additive is selected from the group consisting of water, liquid inorganic and organic compounds of different composition and polarity, water solutions of salts, water solutions of acids, water solutions of bases, water solutions of organic compounds, water solutions of inorganic compounds, liquid organic compounds, liquid inorganic compounds, solvents, mineral oils, organic oils, turpentine, olive oil, palm oil, mineral extracts, organic extracts, extracts containing organic compounds, extracts of inorganic compounds, slurries, suspensions, slurries comprising solid phases including inorganic oxides, hydroxides, salts, organometallic complexes, nano-dispersed solids, micro-dispersed solids, carbon-based clusters, and fine particles, and supercritical liquids.

15. The method of claim 11 where the porous carbonaceous material is made of particles having a diameter greater than 0.037 mm.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of moisture adjusting the porous carbonaceous material by at least partially drying the porous carbonaceous material.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of changing the pressure in the tank.

Assignees

• Cool Planet Energy Systems Inc

Inventors

• Bontchev Ranko Panayotov
• Kim Han Suk
• Belcher Richard Wilson
• Jarand Mark L

Classifications

• C05G5/40

  Fertilisers incorporated into a matrix · CPC title

• C05G3/80

  Soil conditioners · CPC title

• C05D9/00

  Other inorganic fertilisers · CPC title

• C05F11/02

  from peat, brown coal, and similar vegetable deposits · CPC title

• C05F11/08

  Organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia or the like · CPC title