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Updated: Jan 1, 2026
Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization of Six Biochars Produced for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites
Published on: November 28, 2014
Post-engineering of biochar via thermal air treatment for highly efficient promotion of uranium(VI) adsorption
Lichun Dai1, Liang Li2, Wenkun Zhu3
1Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu 610041, PR China.
Abstract:
Biochar from pyrolysis/gasification is relatively poor in oxygen-containing groups and low in micro/mesoporosity, which constrains its adsorption performance. Here, thermal air treatment (TAT) at a mild condition (300 °C in air) was applied to oxygenate the surfaces of various biochars and modify their pore structures for the promotion of their uranium (U(VI)) adsorptions. Results showed that TAT had a high product yield (>76%), increased the O contents, O/C ratios and O-containing groups in biochars, and substantially developed the micro/mesoporosities of biochars. Batch adsorption results showed that TAT remarkably improved U(VI) adsorption capacities of various biochars. Specifically, the maximum U(VI) adsorption capacities of ash-poor corn cob biochar and ash-rich sewage sludge biochar were increased by 137% to 163 mg/g and 23% to 97 mg/g, respectively. Thus, TAT might be a promising strategy to engineer various biochars for adsorptive applications.
