ABSTRACT
Biochar production cannot be properly discussed without first distinguishing it from char and charcoal. All three forms of carbonaceous material are produced from pyrolysis, the process of heating carbon (C)- bearing solid material under oxygen (O2)-starved conditions. Char is defined here as any carbonaceous residue from pyrolysis, including natural fires.Thus, char is the most general term to employ in scientific descriptions of the products of pyrolysis and fires, whether from biomass or other materials. Charcoal is char produced from pyrolysis of animal or vegetable matter in kilns for use in cooking or heating. Biochar is carbonaceous material produced specifically for application to soil as part of agronomic or environmental management (see Chapters 1 and 7). No standard currently prescribes the composition or preparation of biochar to distinguish it from charcoal produced as fuel. However, advances in our understanding of what makes for ‘good’ charcoal in agronomic and environmental management applications will
inevitably encourage separate designations for charcoal and biochar.
