Treated biochar for use in water treatment systems
A method and system is provided for treating water to remove contaminants using treated biochar placed in the water flow pathway of a water treatment process. The system further includes the further treatment of the treated biochar after its use in the water treatment process for use in agricultural or animal applications.
1. A method for treating water to remove contaminants, the method comprising:
contacting pre-treated biochar comprising pores with a water flow pathway of a water treatment process, wherein the pre-treated biochar is pre-treated by infusing a surfactant solution into the pores, wherein the surfactant solution comprises 0.1-20% surfactant by volume, and wherein the infusing of the surfactant solution is performed by a forced, assisted, or accelerated infusion treatment process that also removes solids or liquids from the pores, to thereby form the pre-treated biochar;
wherein the pre-treated biochar is pre-treated biochar fines; and
wherein 95% of the pre-treated biochar fines are between 0.1-0.5 mm in equivalent diameter.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-treated biochar is also treated using centrifuge extraction.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-treated biochar is also treated using a vacuum.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the pre-treated biochar from the water flow pathway of a water treatment process after it has been used in the water treatment process, and retreating the pre-treated biochar following use in the water treatment process.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein retreating the pre-treated biochar involves infusing a liquid into pores of the biochar using a treatment process selected from the group consisting of centrifuge, surfactant and vacuum.
6. Pre-treated biochar for use in agricultural or animal applications, wherein the pre-treated biochar comprises pores, wherein the pre-treated biochar has been used in the water pathway of a water treatment process, and wherein the pre-treated biochar has been treated using a solution, comprising 0.1-20% surfactant by volume, wherein the solution is infused into the pores by a forced, assisted or accelerated infusion treatment process that also forces the removal of solids or liquids out of the pores, to thereby form the pre-treated biochar;
wherein the pre-treated biochar is pre-treated biochar fines; and
wherein 95% of the pre-treated biochar fines are between 0.1-0.5 mm in equivalent diameter.
7. The biochar of claim 6 , wherein the pre-treated biochar has also been treated using centrifuge extraction.
8. The biochar of claim 6 , wherein the pre-treated biochar has also been treated using a vacuum.
9. The biochar of claim 6 , wherein the pre-treated biochar used in the water treatment process has also been infused with microbes that solubilize minerals.