| NSF Org: |
CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | January 5, 2011 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | January 5, 2011 |
| Award Number: | 1054405 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Bruce Hamilton
CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | January 15, 2011 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2016 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $407,910.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $407,910.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1523 UNION RD RM 207 GAINESVILLE FL US 32611-1941 (352)392-3516 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1523 UNION RD RM 207 GAINESVILLE FL US 32611-1941 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | EnvS-Environmtl Sustainability |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
Biochar, also known as "biomass-derived black carbon", is a charcoal produced by the
combustion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment (pyrolysis). Recent technological
advances make it possible to envision the development of an innovative environmental
sustainability strategy to convert carbon-rich agricultural residues (e.g. sugarcane bagasses,
sugar beet residues, peanut hull, and animal waste) into engineered biochars. This
sustainability strategy can produce multiple societal and environmental benefits: sustainable
management of agricultural resources, water conservation and reclamation, sustainable soil
productivity, carbon neutral energy production, and carbon sequestration. The overall objective
of this project is to build an integrated research and education program focusing on exploring
the environmental and societal benefits of using carbon-rich agricultural residues as feed stocks
for engineered biochars. The specific research objectives are to: 1) Create different types of engineered biochars
(i.e., untreated biochar, biologically activated biochar, and surface-modified biochar) from
representative agricultural residues; 2) Determine fundamental physicochemical properties of
the engineered biochars; and 3) Unveil mechanisms governing the sorption of contaminants
(i.e., nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals) to the engineered biochars.
The specific educational objectives are to: 1) develop a new course on the impact of
biochar on environmental sustainability; 2) promote interest and participation of students in
environmental sustainability through early exposure; and 3) educate the greater community
about the environmental and societal benefits of the proposed activities.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The PI and his team members have applied novel methods and developed unique technologies to use engineered biochars to improve environmental sustainability. Various types of novel engineered biochars that have unique physicochemical properties have been synthesized by the researchers. These novel engineered biochars have been evaluated as value-added adsorbents for various applications in environmental remediation, especially with respect to the removal of heavy metals, organic pollutants, and nutrients from aqueous solutions. The researchers have developed a new method to prepare biologically activated biochar from anaerobically digested biomass for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater. The biologically activated biochars show comparable or even better sorptive ability than many commercial adsorbents including activated carbon. Furthermore, the researchers also developed several novel methods to prepare surface modified biochars and hydrochars through the chemical and physical treatments of pristine biochars hydrochars to improve their sorptive properties to aqueous contaminants such as organic pollutants. The surface modified biochars and hydrochars showed improved surface properties that dramatically enhance their sorption capacities to various contaminants in aqueous solutions. More importantly, researchers of this project have also developed a novel straight to use engineered biochar to improve environmental sustainability. Biochar-based nanocomposites have been developed through simple synthesis of direct pyrolysis of biomass pretreated with nanoparticle precursors, which provide a cost-effective management for biomass. The resulting biochar nanocomposites have been applied to remove nutrients (phosphate and nitrate) from aqueous solutions to improve water sustainability. After use, the exhausted-biochar can be applied directly to agricultural field as slow release fertilizer to improve soil quality and productivity as well as to sequester carbon. This would also produce more biomass to be used as feedstock for the production of engineered biochars to improve environmental sustainability. In summary, the obtained results can provide fundamental knowledge to inform the development of novel methods to improve the sustainability of management of waste biomass, soil, water, and other natural resources.
Last Modified: 01/23/2017
Modified by: Bin Gao
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