What is CreChar®?
Our flagship product CreChar® is a functional and sustainable carbon material known as biochar, with numerous applications in industry and agriculture.
Biochar is produced by heating biomass to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. This process removes water and other volatile constituents from the biomass, leaving behind solid carbon-rich biochar. The carbon in biochar is highly stable and can endure in soil for hundreds or thousands of years without being degraded.
Biochar is very porous and has a high number of functional groups on its surface. These properties make it a uniquely versatile carbon material that is suitable for many applications, including as an adsorbent for environmental pollutants or as a catalyst for chemical reactions.
Why CreChar® is special
Most biochars are made from virgin materials such as wood. This places additional strain on resources that are already limited.
In contrast, we produce CreChar® from selected secondary biomass, difficult-to-recycle paper and cardboard waste which would otherwise go to landfills or be sent for incineration. Using these materials to make CreChar® instead is in full accordance with a waste-free circular economy future policy.
This unique approach has allowed Carbogenics to become a leader in carbon upcycling, helping to build a greener, cleaner world for everyone.
How CreChar® works
CreChar® is an innovative patented carbon material that enhances many biological processes in industry and agriculture. It brings peak performance to anaerobic digestion and wastewater treatment among others.
With its large surface area and its unique chemical composition, CreChar® can stabilize biological performance and regulate pH in anaerobic digestion and wastewater treatment plants. It also has the potential to create ideal growth conditions for functional and process-enhancing microorganisms that digest organic waste.
Thanks to these properties, CreChar® increases the stability and efficiency of anaerobic digestion and wastewater treatment processes. The increased efficiency means that an anaerobic digestion plant can produce around 10% more biogas from the same amount of feedstock or maintain its output using less feedstock.
How CreChar® is made
We make CreChar® by heating secondary biomass and difficult-to-recycle paper waste in the absence of oxygen. This process, known as pyrolysis, produces carbon-rich biochar alongside syngas and heat. By using secondary biomass for CreChar® production, we prevent the generation of many tonnes of carbon dioxide, which would be released into the atmosphere if the paper waste went to landfill or incineration.
The carbon locked in CreChar® during the pyrolysis process is in a very stable form, which means it cannot easily be broken down by microorganisms. Therefore, CreChar® is suitable for sequestering and safely storing carbon for hundreds or thousands of years.
Unique benefits of CreChar®
- Innovative: CreChar® was developed by Carbogenics’ team of experienced scientists, who specialise in translating years of cutting-edge research into innovative and sustainable carbon materials.
- Functional: CreChar® is a game-changer for the anaerobic digestion and wastewater treatment industries. By improving the efficiency of the anaerobic digestion process, it allows operators to maximise biogas production while reducing feedstock costs.
- Sustainable: CreChar® is made from difficult-to-recycle paper waste, secondary biomass and other materials, which would otherwise go to landfills or for incineration. Thereby it helps to build a circular economy and a more sustainable future for everyone.
- Versatile: CreChar® has many applications in industry and agriculture in addition to improving anaerobic digestion and wastewater treatment efficiency. It can be used as a plant fertiliser, for soil amendment and remediation, and for carbon sequestration and storage.
