Biocarbon and Biocomposite technologies

The development of Renergi’s biocarbon and biocarbon composite technologies have been decades in the making and will soon enter into the commercialisation phase of R&D following the successful demonstration phase through ARENA funding. You can read about the lessons learnt and project results from the previous phase here.

Renergi’s biocarbon and biocarbon composite technologies converts a liquid bio-oil into a renewable carbonaceous solid termed as biocarbon. The biocarbon from bio-oil will have ultra-low ash yields, containing little N, S or other impurities.

Many other materials can be incorporated into Renergi’s biocarbon process to produce biocarbon composites having a wide range of properties and thus uses.

The potential applications of Renergi’s biocarbon and biocarbon composite technologies are extremely wide, a few examples are given below to illustrate:

• High purity reductants, e.g. for the production of high-purity silicone from the carbothermal reduction of silica.
• Feedstock to produce industrial electrodes, e.g. for use in the aluminium industry.
• High quality/strength activated carbon.
• Conversion of iron ore fines, including the fines currently discharged into dams, into pellets that can be fed directly into the blast furnaces in the steelmaking processes.

Renergi’s technologies will make biomass and wastes to play critical roles in decarbonising our future, releasing the “hard-to-decarbonise” industrial sectors from their current heavy reliance on fossil fuels.