Hydrochar: Productions, Properties and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a process that uses wet biomass at a moderate temperature, between 180 and 250 °C, and autogenic pressure. HTC reduces the oxygen and hydrogen contents in the organic material, mainly due to dehydration and decarboxylation reactions taking place in aqueous medium. Hydrochar is a residue product of the HTC and is a carbon-rich material generated from carbon reaching solid sources under controlled conditions. Hydrochar has received increasing attention due to its unique structure and properties that can be modified during or after its production. Its first applications, such as soil amendments and carbon sequesters, have been significantly extended to other areas including sorption, metal immobilization, leaching, and greenhouse gas emission. A number of aspects, including hydrochar production, properties, and applications, need to be studied due to a variety of source materials; process types and conditions; types of reactors; the physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms involved; and its composition and further interactions with other substances. Analyses need to be made including, but not restricted to, the following: reaction mechanism, response of soil bacterial community to hydrochar addition, potential risk, application strategies and possibilities, cost-effectiveness, bioavailability, physical and chemical activation, nutrient leaching, and sorption and desorption mechanisms.

Taking into account all of the above, this Special Issue is dedicated to topics related to hydrochar productions, properties, and applications, including technical, scientific, economic, and environmental topics.

Dr. Witold Kwapinski
Guest Editor

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