The processes disclosed herein are environmentally friendly technologies to produce biocarbon products with low water intensity as well as low carbon intensity. Some variations provide a low-water-intensity process for producing a biocarbon product, comprising: providing a starting feedstock comprising biomass and water; drying the starting feedstock to generate a dried feedstock and a first vapor; pyrolyzing the dried feedstock to generate hot solids and a second vapor; condensing the first vapor to generate a first condensed liquid having a first pH from about 1 to about 7; condensing the second vapor to generate a second condensed liquid having a second pH from about 1 to about 7; forming acid water comprising the first condensed liquid, the second condensed liquid, or a mixture thereof; washing and cooling the hot solids using the acid water, to generate washed, cooled solids; and recovering the washed, cooled solids as a low-water-intensity biocarbon product.

Disclosed is a liquid biofuel comprising carbonaceous material particles having a D50 ranging from 0.1 μm to 200 μm suspended in a liquid biodiesel composition.

A process for cleaning and beneficiating biomass is described which may allow removal of entrained salts and light volatiles from biomass materials. The process may also minimize energy use through capturing steam and flue gases for re-use. The process may generally comprise the following steps: prewashing and/or preheating a biomass, pressurizing the biomass in a steam explosion vessel, rapidly depressurizing the steam explosion vessel, releasing the steam from the steam explosion vessel entrained with fine lignin-enriched particles into a cyclone-type gas expansion vessel, routing the steam from the gas expansion vessel to the input hopper, subjecting the biomass to a second washing step, mechanically removing a portion of the water from the biomass, and evaporatively heating the biomass.

Some variations provide a process for producing biocarbon pellets, comprising: pyrolyzing a biomass-containing feedstock in a first pyrolysis reactor to generate a first biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis vapor; introducing the pyrolysis vapor to a separation unit, to generate a pyrolysis precipitate in liquid or solid form; contacting the first biogenic reagent with the pyrolysis precipitate, thereby generating an intermediate material; pelletizing the intermediate material, to generate intermediate pellets; optionally, drying the intermediate pellets; separately pyrolyzing the intermediate pellets in a second pyrolysis reactor to generate a second biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis off-gas; and recovering the second biogenic reagent as biocarbon pellets. Some variations provide a similar process that utilizes a carbon-containing condensed-matter material, which is not necessarily a pyrolysis precipitate. The disclosure provides improved processes for producing biocarbon compositions, especially with respect to carbon yield and biocarbon properties, such as reactivity.

A charcoal replacement solid energy fuel comprises wood particles substantially fully impregnated with a melt-flowable, natural, monolignol biopolymer derived from biomass which can be further processed into various shapes of briquettes, pellets and other shapes for grilling, heating/cooking, green coal energy and other applications. The material and its method of making are environmentally friendly, carbon neutral, and lower cost alternative to charcoal or traditional coal. The melt-flowable monolignol based material impregnated into the wood imparts significant water resistance, UV resistance, antimicrobial functionality, faster lighting and higher BTU/lb energy without the need to add carbonize wood or coal. The impregnated wood granules or particles can then be compressed, without the need for additional binder, into various homogenous charcoal briquette replacements, pellets, or shapes for grilling or green coal energy fuel.

This disclosure provides a method of making a high-fixed-carbon material comprising pyrolyzing biomass to generate intermediate solids and a pyrolysis vapor; condensing the pyrolysis vapor to generate pyrolysis liquid; blending the pyrolysis liquid with the intermediate solids, to generate a mixture; and further pyrolyzing the mixture to generate a high-fixed-carbon material. A process can comprise: pyrolyzing a biomass-comprising feedstock in a first pyrolysis reactor to generate a first biogenic reagent and a first pyrolysis vapor; introducing the first pyrolysis vapor to a condensing system to generate a condenser liquid; contacting the first biogenic reagent with the condenser liquid, thereby generating an intermediate material; further pyrolyzing the intermediate material in a second pyrolysis reactor to generate a second biogenic reagent and a second pyrolysis vapor; and recovering the second biogenic reagent as a high-yield biocarbon composition. The process can further comprise pelletizing the intermediate material. Many process and system configurations are disclosed.

This invention provides processes and systems for converting biomass into high-carbon biogenic reagents that are suitable for a variety of commercial applications. Some embodiments employ pyrolysis in the presence of an inert gas to generate hot pyrolyzed solids, condensable vapors, and non-condensable gases, followed by separation of vapors and gases, and cooling of the hot pyrolyzed solids in the presence of the inert gas. Additives may be introduced during processing or combined with the reagent, or both. The biogenic reagent may include at least 70 wt %, 80 wt %, 90 wt %, 95 wt %, or more total carbon on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may have an energy content of at least 12,000 Btu/lb, 13,000 Btu/lb, 14,000 Btu/lb, or 14,500 Btu/lb on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may be formed into fine powders, or structural objects. The structural objects may have a structure and/or strength that derive from the feedstock, heat rate, and additives.

The present invention provides apparatus for starting a fire, comprising a stack of combustible fuel elements (340,350,460,462,464) and a flammable ignition element (450) located in a combustible container (200) configured to provide at least one aperture (202) for igniting the flammable ignition element located therein. A kit of parts and a method of assembling the kit are also provided.

A method and system reprocess soiled animal bedding material commingled with animal manure. In one aspect the soiled animal bedding material is separated in a shaker to send at least a preponderance of the manure to a holding tank. In another aspect the bedding is cleaned, rinsed and color is restored. The bedding material is subsequently dried and a bedding product, fertilizer product, and/or compacted product is formed. Alternatively, the bedding material is dried (without a compacting step) to form a product. In yet another aspect, the steps of separation, cleaning, rinsing and/or color restoration may be omitted.

A method and apparatus for production of cellulose based fuel pellets from wood logs includes steps of comminuting the wood logs to particulate wood material. The particulate material heat treated in a reactor and the pressure is reduced in a manner causing defibration of the particulate material. The material is pelletized using the softened lignin at least partially as a binder for the pellets. The comminution of the wood logs is effected as a single-step operation in which the wood logs are charged to a comminution station where at least one rotating drum provided with cutting teeth is arranged in a manner to fully comminute the wood logs. The particulate material may be fractioned and a selected size fraction used for the further treatment.