Production and Testing of Bio Char Made from Maize and Wood Waste For Domestic and Commercial Applications

Abstract

The increased act of using fertilizers and some other soil additives over the years
in the production of crops on our farm lands has created more environmental
problems, ranging from air, soil and water pollution. This has however
contributed to adverse climate change which has at moment a negative impact in
our social and economic lives. In other to mitigate against this, Bio char which is
obtained by the pyrolysis of organic matters can serve as a replacement for these
fertilizers because of its eco-friendly characteristics. The method available for the
production and testing of the inherent characteristics of Bio char is important and
necessary for this research work. The wood shaven and the maize waste collected
were processed and dried to reduce the water content of the biomass. The dried
biomass was subjected to pyrolysis for one hour at a controlled temperature of
400oC. The bio char so produced was subjected to scientific test such as, water
retention capacity, nitrogen content, the porosity of the biomass and its emission
capacity. Results of the findings showed that saw dust has water holding capacity
of 6.60ml/g, infiltration rate of 0.03cm/sec, Ph. value of 8.56, Ash content value of
0.020 and a water retention time of 60 sec. Similarly, maize cob has water holding
capacity of 5.20ml/g, infiltration rate of 0.03cm/sec, Ph. value of 8.85, Ash content
value of 0.012 and a water retention time of 60 sec. Only wood chip has a departure
from the 60 sec. water retention to 180 seconds, which is a 300% increase. Finally,
bio char which is eco-friendly has been produced. The bio char so produced can
be used to improve on the soil quality for increase yield, assist in mitigating against
environmental pollution problems thereby contributing to an enhanced climate
change positively. It is therefore recommended that government, nongovernmental
agencies, philanthropist and churches be encouraged to key into this
project to guarantee food security, solve the problems of flooding caused by
blockage of water ways on one hand and create the much-needed employment on
the other hand.