Microwave-Mediated Biochar-Hydrogel Composite Synthesis

Microwave-mediated biochar and biochar-hydrogel composite production can provide an energy-efficient, timesaving, and environmentally friendly way for the synthesis of biochar and biochar-hydrogel composite. Microwave-mediated pyrolysis and polymerization are creating an alternative to the current methods of biochar and biochar-hydrogel composite synthesis. This invention includes microwave-mediated pyrolysis, polymerization and polymer modification. The rapid dipole rotation prompted by microwave irradiation introduces energy to the involved chemical reactions more efficiently.  This significantly speeds up these chemical processes. Unlike conventional thermal heating, microwave irradiation can be performed at deliberately chosen temperatures in shifts.  The reaction equilibrium and kinetics of the absorption of radiation is temperature independent. This process can also achieve stable thermodynamic properties of polymers with no further influence on other reactions.  This helps to avoid the deformation of these polymers. 

Advantages

• Microwave-mediated biochar and biochar-hydrogel composite synthesis reactions are simple to operate with limited additives.
• It is also space efficient and can largely reduce processing costs.
• The produced biochar and biochar-hydrogel composite are popularly used in agricultural to conserve water and nutrients in response to climate change.
• The waste can be used as feedstocks for the biochar and biochar-hydrogel composite synthesis.
• This invention can be useful in various agricultural applications.