Project Grant 20223353036920

THE PROPOSED PROJECT ADDRESSES THREE KEY CHALLENGES FACING THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR: 1) CO2 EMISSIONS, 2) WASTE DISPOSAL/MINIMIZATION, AND 3) DEGRADING SOIL HEALTH.BIOMASS PROCESSING RELEASES SIGNIFICANT CO2 TO THE ATMOSPHERE. ONE EXAMPLE IS THE MANUFACTURING OF BIO-ETHANOL. CO2 EMISSIONS RESULT FROM FERMENTATION AND COMBUSTION OF FUELS FOR STEAM PRODUCTION. WHILE THE USE OF BIOMASS IS IN ITSELF MOSTLY CARBON NEUTRAL, SEQUESTERING THE CO2 EMISSION FROM SUCH PROCESSES WOULD BE VERY DESIRABLE (NET -NEGATIVE CO2).BOTH THE ENERGY AND AGRICULTURE SECTORS PRODUCE LARGE QUANTITIES OF RESIDUES THAT PRESENT ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES BUT ALSO AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. SOME OF THE RESIDUES CONTAIN ALKALINE MATERIALS THAT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR CO2 CAPTURE.DEGRADING SOIL QUALITY IS AN ISSUE GLOBALLY. ABOUT 80% OF THE TOTAL GLOBAL CARBON IS TIED UP IN SOILS. DUE TO DEGRADATION, SOILS TODAY IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED SOIL CARBON, RESULTING IN MORE ATMOSPHERIC CO2.WE WILL USE LABORATORY RESEARCH TO TEST AND IMPROVE THE CARBONATION ABILITY OF BIOMASS-DERIVED AND OTHER ALKALINE MATERIALS SO THAT CO2 EMISSIONS FROM BIOMASS PROCESSING FACILITIES CAN BE ECONOMICALLY CAPTURED. WE WILL CHARACTERIZE THE PRODUCTS OF CO2 CAPTURE AS POTENTIAL SOIL AMENDMENT MATERIALS FOR INCREASING SOIL CARBON AND IMPROVING SOIL HEALTH. WE WILL EVALUATE THESE PRODUCTS FOR THEIR ABILITY TO ADSORB AND RETAIN ORGANIC MATERIALS, MOISTURE AND OTHER NUTRIENTS IN THE SOIL SO THAT THEY ARE NOT LOST VIA LEACHING OR VIA OTHER MECHANISMS.IF SUCCESSFUL, WE WILL PROVIDE AN ECONOMICALLY VIABLE PROCESS TO UPGRADE BIOMASS CONVERSION WASTES (ALKALINE RESIDUES) BY CAPTURING CO2 EMISSIONS AND GENERATE A VALUE-ADDED SOIL AMENDMENT PRODUCT. THE PROPOSED PROCESS IS APPLICABLE TO SMALL SCALE, DISTRIBUTED SOURCES OF CO2 THAT ARE TYPICAL OF AGRICULTURAL MANUFACTURING, AS IT PROVIDES A LOW COST AND VIABLE METHOD FOR CO2 SEQUESTRATION WHERE TRADITIONAL CAPTURE, COMPRESSION AND GEOLOGIC STORAGE IS NOT ECONOMICALLY VIABLE OR GEOGRAPHICALLY AVAILABLE. WE WILL FACILITATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCES FOR AGRI-PRODUCTS, SUCH AS BY ENABLING MANUFACTURING OF LOW CARBON FUELS (E.G. ETHANOL), CARBON SEQUESTRATION TAX CREDITS, AND CARBON OFFSETS. THE END RESULT IS NET-NEGATIVE CARBON EMISSIONS FOR BIOMASS PROCESSING, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN WASTE ISSUES FOR BIOMASS/ENERGY SECTORS, AND A UNIQUE AND MULTI-BENEFIT SOIL AMENDMENT PRODUCT TO INCREASE SOIL CARBON AND IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH.