Biochar is a carbon-rich residue derived from the pyrolysis of biomass and stands at the intersection of sustainability, agriculture, and environmental stewardship. This versatile material, characterized by its stable carbon composition, emerges as a promising tool in addressing pressing challenges such as soil degradation, carbon sequestration, and agricultural productivity enhancement.
A pile of biochar
Biochar mixture ready for soil application
Artisinal biochar production in a Kontiki-Kiln
Smallholder biochar production with fruit-orchard prunings; per the World Bank, "biochar retains between 10 percent and 70 percent (on average about 50 percent) of the carbon present in the original biomass and slows down the rate of carbon decomposition by one or two orders of magnitude, that is, in the scale of centuries or millennia"
The pyrolysis process is the thermal decomposition of materials at elevated temperatures, often in an inert atmosphere.
Burning pieces of wood, showing various stages of pyrolysis followed by oxidative combustion.
Oak charcoal
Caramelized onions are slightly pyrolyzed.
This pizza is pyrolyzed, almost completely carbonized.