Quality variations of cow manure biochar generated at different pyrolysis temperatures

Biochar has received great attention recently due to its potential to improve soil productivity and immobilize contaminants and is proper as a way of carbon sequestration in soil. In this study, biochar produced from cow manure by slow pyrolysis at different temperatures (300, 400, 500, 600, 700 ◦C) and their physicochemical properties were analysed. Experiments were conducted to examine the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the cow manure biochar and to identify the optimal pyrolysis temperature for converting cow manure to biochar with agricultural usage. The results showed that with an incremental increase in temperature from 300 to700 ◦C, biochar yield, total N content, and organic carbon (OC) decreased, while pH, EC, ash content, and OC stability increased. The yield and stable OC of biochar was observed between 22.14 to 44.36 % and 35.63 to 72.36 % respectively. To produce cow manure biochar of proper for agricultural applications and a carbon sequestration, temperatures 400 and 500 ◦C are recommended respectively.