Biochar and charcoal are similar carbon based materials that are often confused with each other. However, they have very different applications, properties, and production processes.

In this article, we’ll discuss the six key differences between biochar vs charcoal.

Biochar vs Charcoal: six Key Differences

Let’s explore these differences in detail.

1. Applications

Here’s how biochar and charcoal differ in their applications:

A. Biochar

Biochar, sometimes called horticultural charcoal, is usually used to: 

· Improve soil fertility and soil structure, helping you revitalize poor soil and increase crop yield.

· Facilitate carbon sequestration (capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide and trapping it in the soil) and increase soil carbon content.

· Improve animal health by adding it to livestock feed.  

· Reduce the carbon footprint of construction materials like concrete and asphalt.

Read more about biochar and its uses here.

B. Charcoal

Charcoal is mostly used as a fuel for cooking and heating. 

Since it can burn at high temperatures exceeding 2,010°F (1,100°C), it’s also useful for smelting iron or other metals like bronze.

Additionally, once you activate charcoal, you can use it for water filtration and medicinal purposes.

2. Production

Both biochar and charcoal are made via pyrolysis — the thermal decomposition of organic material like plant waste into carbon in the absence of oxygen.

However, they still differ in the way they’re made. Here’s how:

A. Biochar

Biochar is typically made using the modern pyrolysis method. It uses the heat released from the combustion of gases to facilitate pyrolysis.

The process occurs between 840-1200°F (450-650°C) and is relatively fast, taking minutes to a few hours to produce biochar — along with byproducts like syngas, a great fossil fuel alternative.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change lists biochar production as a negative emission technology as it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow down climate change.

B. Charcoal

Unlike biochar, charcoal can be produced by either the old or modern method of pyrolysis. 

The old method involves using a carefully arranged pile of wood and a chimney to facilitate the thermal decomposition of wood into charcoal in the near absence of oxygen.

Unlike biochar production, charcoal production occurs at a lower temperature, around 750°F (400°C), and can take days to complete.

Moreover, pyrolysis gases and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds are released during charcoal production. This increases atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, making it a positive emission technique, which is harmful to the environment. 

3. Source Material

Let’s now compare the feedstock used in biochar and charcoal productions:

A. Biochar

Biochar is produced from biomass or organic material like agricultural waste, plant residues, wood chips, etc.  

B. Charcoal

Charcoal is derived primarily from wood-based biomass and can be classified into:

· Common charcoal: produced from wood, peat, coconut shell, and petroleum.

· Lump charcoal: made by burning hardwood material.

· Sugar charcoal: made from cane sugar.

· Barbecue charcoal briquettes: produced from sawdust and leftover wood material.

4. Physical Properties

Both biochar and charcoal are amorphous (without a fixed shape) black carbon forms with thousands of pores and grooves.

However, they have subtle differences in their physical properties:

A. Biochar

Biochar is more porous and has a larger surface area than charcoal — a few ounces of biochar can have an internal surface area the size of a football field!

This porosity and surface area helps biochar improve soil structure and house beneficial microbes, resulting in healthy soil.

B. Charcoal

Due to its low production temperatures, charcoal has lower porosity than biochar. This temperature also results in a less stable form of carbon, meaning it decomposes in the soil faster than biochar.

Charcoal also has low thermal and electrical conductivity, making it useful as an insulator.  

However, these physical properties depend on the source material and temperature used during charcoal production. 

5. Chemical Properties

Here’s how biochar and charcoal differ in their chemical properties:

A. Biochar

· Depending on the feedstock source, biochar may have varying levels of macronutrients (like Phosphorus) and micronutrients (like Zinc) that are essential for plant growth.

· It’s usually alkaline, but depending on the source material and production temperature, it can have a pH between 4.6 to 9.3.

· It has a negative charge that helps increase the cation exchange capacity (ability to hold nutrients) of soil, improving plant nutrient availability.

B. Charcoal

· Charcoal usually contains less than 1% moisture, but it can increase to 5-15% by absorbing moisture from the air. Higher moisture levels reduce the heating efficiency of charcoal.

· Activated charcoal is more alkaline than biochar, with a pH range of 9-11. This helps it absorb organic material in water.

6. Activation

To improve their properties, you can activate biochar and charcoal. 

Here’s how:

A. Biochar

For best results as a soil amendment, biochar needs to be activated or charged with nutrients and microbes before being applied to soils.

Biochar activation typically includes mixing a 1:1 ratio of raw biochar and nutrient-rich organic matter like compost. The mix is then kept aside for around two weeks so that it’s loaded with nutrients, moisture, and soil microbes that can improve soil health.

B. Charcoal

Activated charcoal (activated carbon) is made by heating common charcoal at high temperatures in the presence of gases like Argon, Nitrogen, or steam. 

This gives it a larger surface area and porosity than normal charcoal and biochar, enhancing its adsorption potential and capacity for filtration. 

However, activated carbon lacks other properties suitable for plant nutrient uptake, like ion exchange.

Wrapping Up

Biochar and charcoal are two very different materials.

If you are also interested in the charcoal business or want to buy high-quality charcoal processing equipment, please contact us. We will customize suitable processing solutions and equipment for you according to your needs and investment budget.

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