Investigation of the utilization of pyrolysis solid product as soil amendement

ABSTRACT INVESTIGATION OF THE UTILIZATION OF PYROLYSIS SOLID PRODUCT AS SOIL AMENDEMENT Büşra AYGÜN Programme in Chemical Engineering Eskişehir Technical University, Graduate School of Sciences, April 2019 Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esin APAYDIN-VAROL In this study, the use of pyrolysis solid product and biocomposites obtained as a result of torrefication of this solid product with different organic fertilizers as a soil conditioner and as an organic fertilizer was investigated. The solid product (biochar) which was produced from beech wood sawdust via carbonization at 550oC, was then impregnated with humic acid, bat guano and poultry litter at different ratios to produce five different biocomposites by applying torrefication at 160 oC. The humic acid used in the study was obtained from beech wood sawdust by alkali titration method. A 95-day soil test was carried out to investigate the effect of biochar application on plant growth and to demostrate any possible changes on the biochar by applying characterization to biochar after its utilization. By using biochar as a soil conditioner, organic carbon in the soil is increased, soil reclamation and the improvement of quality of the soil is provided. Depending on the soil properties it is determined that biochar increases water holding capacity, element holding and cation exchange capacity and regulates pH. In the light of the data obtained, it is concluded that environmentally friendly biochar based soil conditioner with high organic carbon content can be produced as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers. Keywords: Carbonization, Biochar, Biocomposite, Soil Conditioner.