Biochar as a filter material: feasibility studies and business development

The goal of the thesis is to evaluate the performance of the biochar produced by a novel pyrolysis-with-post-reforming technique (TCR), as a filtering material for wastewater, and to make a comparison with other filter materials currently on the market. Caviro winery was chosen as a case study, providing two samples of wastewater produced in their plants. Vineyard pruning was used as the feedstock for the production of biochar. Two different types of biochar were produced, which differ in the temperature at which the post-reformer was set during production (500°C and 700°C). For the two biochars and the two wastewater samples several analyses were conducted, aimed at their chemical and physical characterization. Biochar and wastewater samples have been used for sorption tests of COD and other elements contained in the wastewater, with contact times of 0.5, 2, 6, and 24 hours. The resulting waters were then re-characterized. The performance of the two biochars as filtering materials were compared with materials currently marketed for this purpose, like active carbon and commercial zeolite. An economic analysis has been performed which shows that the filtering of wastewaters with the biochar produced at the highest temperature is much less expensive than the current filtering materials and also with respect to the cost of standard processing by waste management companies in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy).