In Japan, charcoal is widely used as soil improver, fodder, moisture conditioner, etc. by making use of the adsorption capacity (so-called ‘charcoal for new uses’), in addition to solid fuel for cooking and heating. For liquid products, low boiling point fraction, pyroligneous acid, is on the market as agricultural materials, deodorant, etc. In contrast, high boiling point fraction, tar, has a limited practical utilization, like creosote as medicine. In a laboratory scale, the production of phenolic resin adhesive, the recovery of wood preservatives, conversion into electroconductive carbon, etc. has been reported. The use of gas fraction is a supplementary fuel for process.

4.4.3 Status-quo of the technology

A variety of reactors in scale and shape are developed in response of the diversification of material, and they are commercially operated, although the current system does not greatly differ from the earlier one. Nickel-catalyzed carbonization of wood at 900°C, which was conducted in a laboratory scale to obtain a functional carbon with conductivity and liquid phase adsorption in concurrence with hydrogen-rich gas, has attracted considerable attention.

Further information

Bridgwater, A. V.; Bridge, S. A.: “Biomass Pyrolysis Liquids Upgrading and Utilization”, Bridgwater, A.

V., Grassi G., Eds., Elsevier Applied Science, 1991, p. 22,

Lede, J. Reaction temperature of solid particles undergoing an endothermal volatilization. Application to the fast pyrolysis of biomass, Biomass Bioenergy, 7, 49-60 (1994)

Pomeroy, C. F. “Biomass Conversion processes for Energy and Fuels”, Sofer, S. S., Zaborsky, O. R. Eds., pp. 201-211, Plenum (1981)

Suzuki, T.; Miyamoto, M.; Luo, W.-M.; Yamada, T.; Yoshida, T. in “Science in Thermal and Chemical Biomass Conversion”, Vol. 2, Bridgwater, A. V; Boocock, D. G. B., Eds., CPL Press, 2006, pp. 1580-1591 Suzuki, T.; Suzuki, K.; Takahashi, Y.; Okimoto, M.; Yamada, T.; Okazakik N.; Shimizu, Y.; Fujiwara, M. Nickel-catalyzed carbonization of wood for coproduction of functional carbon and fluid fuels I., J. Wood Si, 53, 54-60 (2007)