Hokkaido University · Engineering
Professor Kazunori Iwabuchi's research lab specializes in sustainable bioenergy and soil amendment technologies, focusing on the conversion of organic waste—particularly livestock manure and forestry residues—into high-value biochar and hydrochar through advanced thermal processes such as pyrolysis, co-hydrothermal carbonization (co-HTC), and torrefaction. The lab investigates the physicochemical properties, nutrient release dynamics, and environmental impacts of these materials, with an emphasis on enhancing soil fertility, reducing air pollution from biomass combustion, and improving the energy efficiency and sustainability of biofuel production. Key research directions include optimizing slow-release biofertilizers and developing water-efficient hydrothermal carbonization techniques for industrial scalability.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Several biochars have a considerable amount of essential plant nutrients; however, the release of those nutrients in soil is not well understood. Therefore, in this study, six biochars with varying nutrient contents were produced from Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi, JL), dairy manure (DM), and chicken manure (CM) at 300 and 500 °C and incubated in a temperate clay loam soil to investigate their nutrient release dynamics. The available N, P, and K release patterns of the biochars (2% dry-basis)
Biochar-based fertilizers (BBFs) are attracting considerable interest due to their potential to improve soil properties and the nutrient use efficiency of plants. However, a sustainable agricultural system requires decreased dependency on chemical fertilizer for BBF production and further enhancement of the slow-release performance of BBFs. In this study, we propose a simple biochar-based slow-release fertilizer synthesis technique involving the co-pyrolysis of 10 to 25% (w/w) Ca-bentonite with
Aiming to reduce the emission of particulate matter (PM) during biomass combustion, we investigated the effects of pyrolysis temperature and feedstock type on the chemical properties of biochar and PM emission characteristics during subsequent combustion. Wood- and manure-based char samples were prepared at pyrolysis temperatures ranging from 200 to 500 °C and combusted in a laboratory-scale tube furnace at 850 °C. Due to the removal of volatile matter (VM), the total PM emission factor (EF) of
This report describes a new oxidative torrefaction method employing spontaneous self-heating of feedstock as a means of overcoming practical difficulties in converting livestock manure to biochar. We examined the initiating temperature required to induce self-heating of wet dairy cattle manure under 1.0 MPa pressure and conducted elemental and calorific analyses of the solid products prepared at 200, 250, and 300 °C. Self-heating was initiated with oxidation below 100 °C, and the lower limit of
Abstract This study investigated co-hydrothermal carbonisation (co-HTC) of dairy manure (DM) and wood shavings from Larix kaempferi , commonly known as the Japanese larch (JL) to enhance the fuel properties of the resulting hydrochar. The JL was mixed with the DM at 25, 50 and 75 wt.% ratios. Co-HTC was conducted at 260 °C for 20 min. The resulting hydrochars were characterised based on the physicochemical properties and the thermal behaviour. Results showed that the hydrochar solid biofuel prop
There are many advantages to liquid-based hydrothermal carbonization (L-HTC) but the need to immerse the biomass in water generates more post-process water, hindering the commercialisation of HTC. To address this issue, this study investigated the feasibility of vapour-based HTC (V-HTC), which minimizes the water required. Dairy manure was hydrothermally treated at temperatures of 200, 230, 255 and 270°C and biomass-to-water ratios (B/W) of 0.1, 0.18, 0.25, 0.43, 0.67 and 1.0 for 20 minutes, the
This study aimed to establish a new methodology for upgrading biomass quality using low-temperature (below 100 °C) oxidation to achieve simultaneous drying and decomposition. Sterilized manure (63% wet basis) was heated at 90 °C for 49 days under an oxidative environment. The obtained solid and moisture reduction curves indicated that drying and decomposition proceeded simultaneously. The biomass was decomposed by oxidation with the release of water, carbon dioxide, and volatile fatty acids such
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