Biochar of Spent Coffee Grounds as Per Se and Impregnated with TiO2: Promising Waste-Derived Adsorbents for Balofloxacin

Biochars (BC) of spent coffee grounds, both pristine (SCBC) and impregnated with titanium oxide (TiO₂@SCBC) were exploited as environmentally friendly and economical sorbents for the fluroquinolone antibiotic balofloxacin (BALX). Surface morphology, functional moieties, and thermal stabilities of both adsorbents were scrutinized using SEM, EDS, TEM, BET, FTIR, Raman, and TG/dT analyses. BET analysis indicated that the impregnation with TiO₂ has increased the surface area (50.54 m²/g) and decreased the pore size and volume. Batch adsorption experiments were completed in lights of the experimental set-up of Plackett-Burman design (PBD). Two responses were maximized; the % removal (%R) and the adsorption capacity (q_e, mg/g) as a function of four variables: pH, adsorbent dosage (AD), BALX concentration ([BALX]), and contact time (CT). %R of 68.34% and 91.78% were accomplished using the pristine and TiO₂@SCBC, respectively. Equilibrium isotherms indicated that Freundlich model was of a perfect fit for adsorption of BALX onto both adsorbents. Maximum adsorption capacity (q_max) of 142.55 mg/g for SCBC and 196.73 mg/g for the TiO₂@SCBC. Kinetics of the adsorption process were best demonstrated using the pseudo-second order (PSO) model. The adsorption-desorption studies showed that both adsorbents could be restored with the adsorption efficiency being conserved up to 66.32% after the fifth cycles.     

沼液与生物炭联合施用对杨树人工林土壤甲螨密度的影响

沼液作为一种有机肥，富含多种营养元素及氨基酸、腐殖酸、吲哚乙酸等物质，能有效提高土壤肥力，减少化肥投入。生物炭是生物质经高温裂解产生的化学性质稳定的高度芳香化富碳固体物质，能缓释沼液的养分。采用沼液与生物炭混施杨树人工林，探讨土壤动物优势类群甲螨（oribatida）个体密度的响应，为进一步深入了解土壤动物及其生态过程，以及人工林的科学经营提供参考。     

Highly efficient adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by Fe3+ impregnated biochar

Biochar (BC) has been widely used as a low-cost adsorbent for the removal of contaminants from water and soil. However, the adsorption ability of BC towards heavy metal oxyanions (e.g., Cr(VI)) is relatively low due to the negatively charged surface of BC. In this study, pristine BC was impregnated with Fe³⁺ to improve its Cr(VI) adsorption capability. Fe³⁺-impregnated BC (Fe³⁺-BC) was successfully synthesized by a simple impregnation method and used for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. Various factors affecting the adsorption, such as impregnation ratio, pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, temperature, and the presence of humic acid, were investigated in detail. Results showed that Fe³⁺-BC had strong adsorption ability to Cr(VI) with a maximum adsorption capacity of 197.80 mg/g, which were not only significantly higher than that of the pristine BC, but also were superior to many previously reported adsorbents. It was favorable for Cr(VI) adsorption under the condition of acidic and high temperature. The adsorption data obeyed Sips and Langmuir isotherms and the kinetic data were well described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The results herein revealed that the Fe³⁺-impregnated BC had a good potential as a highly efficient material for adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution.     

A Review: Carbon Dioxide Capture: Biomass-Derived-Biochar and Its Applications

The changes in global temperatures as a result of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions has suggested that cumulative CO₂ emissions will continue to increase over time. Many countries are looking for ways to reduce or alter the amount of CO₂ harming our environment; therefore, this review is a compilation of CO₂ adsorption on biomass-derived-biochar (BDB). This suggests that effective measures to mitigate the risk of dangerous climate change will need to limit cumulative emissions of CO₂. Further, if cumulative CO₂ emissions overshoot acceptable limits, it will become necessary to remove CO₂ from the air, that is, the so-called “negative emissions.” In this review, we discuss the definitions and classes of technologies for capturing CO₂ from the air and the application of biochar in the improvement of soil fertility. We also discuss the economic tradeoff between biochar and bio-oil, agricultural nutrient leaching, the novel magnetic property of biochar and its durability.     

Hollow Porous MnFe2O4 Sphere Grown on Elm-Money-Derived Biochar towards Energy-Saving Full Water Electrolysis

The development of inexpensive and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts is significant for widespread practical applications of overall water splitting technology. Herein, a one-pot solvothermal method is used to prepare hollow porous MnFe₂O₄ spheres, which are grown on natural-abundant elm-money-derived biochar material to construct MnFe₂O₄/BC composite. When the overpotential is 156 mV for both the oxygen evolution reaction and the hydrogen evolution reaction, the current density reaches up to 10 mA cm⁻², and its duration is 10 h. At 1.51 V, the overall water decomposition current density of 10 mA cm⁻² can be obtained in 1 m KOH. This work proves that elm-money-derived biochar is a valid substrate for growing hollow porous spheres. MnFe₂O₄/BC give a promising general strategy for preparing the effective and stable bifunctional catalysis that can be expand to multiple transition metal oxide.     

Investigation on Pyrolysis of Casein

First casein was processed by pyrolysis and investigated under optimal thermal treatment condition to obtain a good quality adsorbent with high developed porosity structure and liquid product as a complex raw material for different kind of organic compounds with interesting properties and structures. The yields of hard residue, pitch, pyrolysis water and gases were determined and compared with the yields of pyrolysis products of other investigated different kind of organic materials. The chemical composition of pitch was determined as following: free carbons - 4.52%, organic acids - 0.64%, organic bases -38.00%, phenols - 7.75%, asphaltenes - 0.97%, paraffin's - 1.30%, neutral oils - 16.20% and preasphaltanes - 30.10%. The pitch was fractionated by air distillation into 3 liquid fractions with different boiling range and a bitumen like residue with a lower softening temperature. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

热解过程中生物质半焦比热容的测定

采用热重-差示量热扫描法(TG-DSC)测量了生物质和一次热解焦炭及不同转化率下半焦的比热容,建立了计算半焦比热容的数学模型并与实验测量结果进行了对比。结果表明,生物质样品和热解焦炭的比热容在60~200℃随温度升高而线性增大。生物质焦炭的比热容低于生物质样品的比热容,从60℃时的1.2 J/(g·K)增大到200℃附近的1.8~2.0 J/(g·K)。生物质半焦比热容随热解转化率的提高而降低。由半焦比热容数学模型计算得到的结果在接近150~200℃时与实验测定的半焦比热容数值基本一致。     

HNO3氧化改性生物炭吸附水体中阳离子和阴离子染料的影响因素研究

以玉米秸秆和甘蔗屑为原料,分别在400℃和800℃制备生物炭并利用HNO_3进行氧化改性。通过分析废水实际处理过程中不同吸附条件对吸附效果的影响,研究了HNO_3氧化改性生物炭对阳离子和阴离子染料的吸附影响因素。结果表明:振荡强度、温度、pH、离子强度、共存离子是影响HNO_3氧化改性生物炭吸附阳离子和阴离子染料的主要因素,且对不同性质染料影响趋势和程度不同。温度高有利于提高HNO_3氧化改性生物炭的吸附作用;未达到吸附饱和前,提高振荡强度促进吸附作用,但达到吸附饱和后高振荡强度不利于吸附作用;高离子强度对HN4GZ吸附阳离子染料有促进作用,中、低离子强度更适合HN4YM和HN8YM对阳离子和阴离子染料的吸附处理;弱酸性条件不利于HN4YM和HN4GZ对阳离子染料的吸附,中性条件不利于HN8YM对阴离子染料的吸附;废水中常见的阳离子/阴离子的存在对两种染料的吸附均有一定负作用,但HNO_3氧化改性生物炭仍表现出令人满意的吸附效果。     

杨晓智 郭建华* 于凯川 王树谦

为了探究重金属胁迫下生物炭对玉米幼苗生长的影响,采用盆栽水培玉米幼苗,在无Pb2+和含Pb2+对照下观察不同裂解温度制备的生物炭对玉米幼苗生长的影响。研究结果表明：生物炭滤出液对玉米种子的萌发影响不显著, WS300(300℃生物炭)促进玉米幼苗的干物质量增加了27%, WS500(500℃生物炭)促进玉米幼苗的干物质量增加了35%。在Pb2+胁迫下,不同裂解温度生物炭对培养液中的Pb2+去除率达到了25%-30%,其中PWS300(含Pb2+的300℃生物炭)促进玉米幼苗茎长增加了25%、干物质量增加了30%。由此可见,生物炭在Pb2+胁迫下对玉米幼苗生长的促进作用有虽所减弱,但依然能明显促进玉米幼苗的早期生长。     

秸秆生物炭及秸秆对大豆生长及土壤微生物活性的影响

为了明确不同秸秆利用方式对作物生长及土壤微生物的影响,采用盆栽试验,研究秸秆直接添加和秸秆生物炭添加对大豆生长状况、根际土壤有机碳及微生物群落功能多样性的影响.结果表明:秸秆生物炭添加(MB和WB)能有效提高大豆盛花期地下生物量.秸秆直接添加(M和W)能显著增加大豆花期根际土壤有机碳的含量,玉米秸秆直接添加处理(M)下的有机碳含量最高,为21.15 mg/g.大豆成熟期,秸秆生物炭添加处理(MB和WB)下土壤有机碳含量较空白处理(CK)显著增加,玉米秸秆添加处理(M)下根际土壤有机碳含量显著高于小麦秸秆添加处理(W).不同秸秆利用方式下大豆根际土壤平均颜色变化率(AWCD)随时间延长而增加,MB和WB处理较M和W处理能显著提高成熟期大豆根际土壤AWCD值.因此,可利用秸秆生物炭添加改善大豆根际土壤微生物活性,提高土壤碳贮量.