© Fraunhofer UMSICHT
Fraunhofer UMSICHT at it's site in Sulzbach-Rosenberg develops pilot plants and processes for the carbonization of biomass, in particular biogenic waste and residual materials . For our partners, we offer scientific support along the entire value chain from the feedstock to the production and application of biochar and carbonates.
According to the IPCC, additional measures are needed to actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere (carbon dioxide removal) in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. The carbonization of biomass using PyCCS (pyrogenic carbon capture and storage) is considered a reliable technical approach. It consists of using thermochemical processes to convert plants or beiogenic residues that have previously fixed CO2 through photosynthesis into biochar / carbonisates.
The carbon bound in the carbonisates can be stored effectively and safely over long periods of time. Biomass carbonisates, which are used as a substitute for fossil coals, are considered climate-neutral and can reduce the CO2 footprint of processes and products.
Fraunhofer UMSICHT in Sulzbach-Rosenberg has many years of experience in the production and analysis of carbonisates (especially biochar) from a wide variety of biogenic and non-biogenic feedstocks.
The institute section has various pyrolysis plants for the carbonization of biomasses from laboratory to industrial scale with throughputs of 2, 10, 30 and 500 kg. In test campaigns, large quantities of feedstock can thus also be put through and corresponding product quantities can be generated.
The thermo-catalytic reforming process developed at the institute deserves special mention. This pyrolysis-based technology achieves an upgrading of the biochar produced in the pyrolysis process through a downstream reforming step. The high product quality allows high-value applications of the biochar that are not possible by conventional (flash) pyrolysis processes or hydrothermal processes such as hydro- and vapothermal carbonization. Carbonisates produced by TCR processes have low acid and hydrogen contents and high stability in soil applications.
In addition to pyrolysis technologies, various gasifier test beds are available that are optimized for biochar.
Appropriate research and laboratory infrastructure is available for the conditioning of feedstocks, analysis, and processing of biochar, including by-products and downstream products.
| Conditioning of feedstocks / sample preparation | Characterization / Analytics | Preparation / Refinement |
| Pelletizing, grinding, drying | Chemical parameters (water content and water extractable substances, ash content, PAH, metals, calorific and heating value, CHNO) | Briquetting, pressing |
| Physical parameters (bulk density, jolt density, density via helium pycnometer, particle size distribution, pressure drop, impact hardness, rolling abrasion hardness, ball-pan hardness, Hg porosimetry). | ||
Adsorption parameter Iodine number BET (N2, CO2, Ar, Kr) |
Depending on the area of application, biochar must fulfill specific properties. Fraunhofer UMSICHT provides support in the preparation, modification and refinement of carbonates into products with defined parameters.
Biochar can find application in the agricultural context with the aim of carbon storage combined with soil improvement. Depending on the purpose, the physical and chemical properties of the respective biochar, compliance with limit values in accordance with international guidelines and appropriate certification are important for such an application.
Biochar can be utilised as a filler in concrete, asphalt or plastics to reduce the CO2 footprint of the products or to specifically modify the product properties. Porosity, particle size distribution, adhesion behavior and leaching behavior of pollutants play a major role here. These properties can be modified by targeted processing. We offer various processes for this purpose.
Coal from fossil sources is an important input material in industry, e.g. in the sintering plant for the production of iron ore agglomerates, in the electric arc furnace as injection or feed coal, or as alloying coal for adjusting the carbon content of the steel. To achieve CO2-neutral steel production, the replacement of fossil coals by biochar plays a major role. Decisive parameters for this are the ash content, the amount of volatile components, the calorific value, the particle size and the reactivity. The selection of suitable feedstocks as well as the process parameters during the conversion of biomass to produce the biochar is therefore crucial.
Whether for combustion or gasification of the biochar for the generation of process heat or electricity, the calorific value, the proportion of carbon or the ash content is decisive. Together with you, we evaluate the suitability and, if necessary, optimization of the resulting carbonisates for efficient thermal utilization.
Biomass and biogenic residues partly contain valuable nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium. In the context of landfilling, these are lost for targeted application. By means of pyrolytic conversion, these nutrients can be recovered from the input materials in a targeted manner, either from the biochar itself or from the existing side streams (gas, oil, water), and used further in a targeted manner.
The treatment of biomasses by means of a thermal process (technical pyrolysis or hydrothermal carbonization) leads to an increase in the relative carbon content. The resulting products are generally referred to as carbonisates; depending on the feedstock, the term biochar is also commonly used. However, to distinguish it from coal from fossil sources, the term »biochar« is preferred.
Carbon carriers that can be used and applied directly as a material in agriculture or animal husbandry are defined as biochar. Only unpolluted biomasses are used in their production.
If pyrolysis is carried out as a thermal treatment process to obtain the carbonisates, the resulting products are called pyrogenic carbon (or pyrolysis coke). With woody feedstocks and slow heating rates in the pyrolysis process, the product obtained is charcoal.
The term Terra Preta is also used in the context of the agricultural use of biochar. This refers to a soil that has been strongly influenced by humans, which is found in the Amazon basin and has particularly fertile properties due to carbonisates from biomass introduced into it.
Further carbonaceous material can be produced by biomass gasification. These products are referred to as gasifier coke. This term can also be used in connection with other products, e.g. fossil products, and is not purely related to products from biomass.
Fraunhofer UMSICHT Institute Branch Sulzbach-Rosenberg