STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOCHARS FOLLOWING INTERACTION WITH FERROSOL SOILS

LIN, Yun, Electron Microscope Unit of the Analytical Centre, The University of New South Wales, The basement of Chemical Science Building, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia, MUNROE, Paul, Electron Microscope Unit of the Analytical Centre, The University of New South Wales, The basement of Chemical Science Building, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052 and JOSEPH, Stephen, Material Science and Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052, yun.lin@unsw.edu.au

In this presentation, two biochars were studied, namely a paper sludge char (PS Char) and a chicken manure char (CM Char). These biochars were applied to a ferrosol soil for 9 months, where sweet corn was grown (a corn-bean rotation was used). Both as-pyrolised and aged biochars (extracted out of the soil prior to testing) underwent examination using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy X-ray dispersive spectrometry (EDS) facilities attached. The results showed that the aggregation of biochar and soil materials occurred during application in soil. The structure and chemical composition of the aggregates varied between the PS char and the CM char. Solid state ¹³C NMR analysis showed that additional O-alkyl peak and O-aryl peak/shoulder appeared in both biochars following application. In addition, surface chemical analysis carried out by using X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) indicated that the concentration of surface oxygen and carbon in oxidation states increased. Soil test showed that soil properties, such as electrical conductivity (EC), pH value and cation exchange capacity (CEC), were increased. The concentration of plant-available phosphorus also increased. The possible mechanisms for the formation of biochar-mineral aggregates are proposed and will be discussed in this presentation. The effects of biochar application on soil and yield are also discussed.

Session No. 62

T54. Pyrogenic Black Carbon, or Biochar, in Soils and Sediments, Its Characterization and Fate—Its Effects On the Carbon Cycle and Carbon Sequestration, and Its Effects on Soil Properties

Sunday, 31 October 2010: 1:30 PM-5:30 PM

Room 601 (Colorado Convention Center)

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 42, No. 5, p.159

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