Investigating the NS Power Biomass power plant biochar waste product as a value-added enhanced adsorbent material and catalyst support

位于北卡罗来纳州塔佩尔角的生物质发电机由新斯科舍电力公司运营，产生生物炭作为一种 飞灰废流的副产品。这种生物炭具有类似于从 桦木和其他木制品对水中重金属的吸附性能都有所增强 解决办法。在与NS Power的合作下，我们希望研究这种生物碳的潜力，它 作为废物大量产生，用作重金属和其他物质的吸附剂 材料，以及作为催化剂载体。与昂贵的高活性碳不同，生物炭的生产成本较低 温度以含氧和含氮官能团的形式保留了不同的表面化学 组。它们可以通过化学键与溶解的分子可逆地和选择性地相互作用，这 比活性碳可用的简单物理吸附要强得多。除一般情况外 表征和吸附测试，将研究与以下相关的特定工业应用 水产养殖、溪流和矿山废物修复以及生物炭有望传递的催化作用 在效率和成本方面有了显著的改进。现有的表面功能也将 考虑到有针对性的应用进行转化，例如选择性金属螯合和催化物种 自动减支。因为飞灰生物炭是现有行业的废物产品，所以它提供了一个机会 将废物处理这一成本转化为新斯科舍电力公司的收入来源，即附加值吸附剂。这个 该产品的开发将可以扩展到包括其他附带的和有目的的来源 合成生物炭材料。

The biomass power generator at Point Tupper, NS, operated by Nova Scotia Power, generates biochar as a by-product from the fly ash waste stream. This biochar has properties similar to biocarbons generated from birch and other wood products, which all show enhanced adsorption properties for heavy metals in aqueous solutions. In collaboration with NS Power, we would like to investigate the potential for this biocarbon, which is generated in high quantities as a waste product, to be used as an adsorbent for heavy metals and other materials, and as a catalyst support. Unlike expensive highly activated carbon, biochar produced at lower temperatures retains diverse surface chemistry in the form of oxygen and nitrogen containing functional groups. These can reversibly and selectively interact with dissolved molecules through chemical bonds, which are much stronger than simple physical adsorption available to activated carbon. In addition to general characterization and adsorption testing, specific industrially relevant applications will be investigated related to aquaculture, stream and mine waste remediation, and catalysis for which the biochar is expected to convey significant improvements in terms of effectiveness and cost. Existing surface functionality will also be transformed with targeted applications in mind, e.g., selective metal chelation and catalytic species sequestration. Because the fly ash biochar is a waste product of an existing industry it provides an opportunity to convert a cost, waste disposal, into a revenue stream, value-added adsorbent, for Nova Scotia Power. The development of this product would be expandable to include other sources of incidental and purposefully synthesized biochar materials.