Bio-tar, long a bioenergy villain, could turn into a goldmine!
The sticky, toxic by-product of renewable energy production has haunted the industry for decades, causing headaches for engineers and researchers alike. Its viscous nature makes it notoriously difficult to handle, and its disposal poses environmental and operational challenges.
Generated when biomass, such as crop residues, wood, or other organic matter, is heated to produce clean energy, bio-tar can clog pipelines, corrode equipment, and release harmful compounds into the atmosphere if not managed carefully.
For years, scientists have focused on finding ways to neutralize or eliminate this stubborn waste.
Now, a team from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences suggests a bold alternative: turn bio-tar into “bio-carbon,” a high-value material with applications far beyond energy.
“Our review highlights how turning bio-tar into bio-carbon not only solves a technical problem for the bioenergy industry, but also opens the door to producing advanced carbon materials with high economic value,” said senior author Dr. Zonglu Yao.
The review examines chemical reactions inside bio-tar, particularly those involving oxygen-rich compounds like carbonyls and furans, which naturally promote polymerization — processes where small molecules link to form larger, more stable carbon structures.
By adjusting temperature, reaction time, and additives, researchers can produce bio-carbon with tailored properties.
Bio-carbon for multiple uses
The resulting bio-carbon differs from ordinary biochar, typically featuring higher carbon content, lower ash, and unique structural properties that make it ideal for advanced applications.
Early studies suggest it could be used as an adsorbent to clean polluted water and air by trapping heavy metals and organic contaminants, serve as electrode materials for next-generation supercapacitors critical to renewable energy storage, act as a catalyst to accelerate industrial chemical reactions more sustainably than traditional fossil-based alternatives, and function as a clean-burning fuel with lower emissions of harmful nitrogen and sulfur oxides.
Recent economic and life-cycle assessments indicate that converting bio-tar into bio-carbon can deliver net-positive energy, financial, and environmental benefits.
Replacing coal with bio-carbon fuels could cut carbon dioxide emissions by hundreds of millions of tons annually while generating profits for biomass processing plants.
Challenges and next steps
Still, challenges remain. Bio-tar’s chemical complexity makes the polymerization process difficult to fully control, and large-scale production has not yet been achieved.
The authors recommend combining lab experiments with computer simulations and machine learning to optimize reaction pathways and design bio-carbon for specific functions.
“Bio-tar polymerization is not just about waste treatment — it represents a new frontier for creating sustainable carbon materials,” said first author Yuxuan Sun.
“With further research, this approach could significantly improve the efficiency of biomass energy systems while providing new tools for environmental protection and clean technology.”
The study offers a roadmap for scientists and industry partners to turn one of bioenergy’s biggest obstacles into a powerful resource for the future.
The study has been published in the journal Biochar.