IP Library Granted Patent US 10,864,492
Granted Patent B2
US 10,864,492 · App. 16/422,955 · Granted Dec 15, 2020

Method for producing biochar aggregate particles

Inventors: Rajashekharam Malyala (Camarillo, CA); Vern Traxler (Simi Valley, CA); Matthew William Smith (Camarillo, CA); Han Suk Kim (Thousand Oaks, CA); Ranko Panayotov Bontchev (Camarillo, CA); Richard Wilson Belcher (Oxnard, CA)
Assignee: Carbon Technology Holdings, LLC
B01J2/00A23K10/30A23K20/10A23K20/163A23K40/10A23K50/90A61K9/1611A61K9/1652A61K9/1682A61K33/44A61L9/012A61L9/014B01J2/12B01J2/28B01J20/12B01J20/20B01J20/24B01J20/28019B01J20/3007B01J20/3028B01J20/3042B01J20/3078C01B32/05C05B17/00C05C5/00C05D9/00C05F11/00C05G3/80C05G5/12C09K17/04C09K17/48C09K17/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,864,492
App. No.
16/422,955
Granted
Dec 15, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for producing biochar aggregate particles that comprising the steps of (i) collecting or producing treated biochar fines less than 1 mm, (ii) adding a binding agent to the fines, (iii) forming the fines and binding agent into solid aggregate particles. The steps may further include, for example, adding additives to the fines, drying the solid aggregate particles, activing the binder after forming the solid aggregate particles with heat or cold temperatures and/or treating the biochar fines prior to forming the aggregate particles.

Claims (32)

1. A method for producing biochar aggregate particles, the method comprising the steps of (i) collecting or producing treated biochar fines less than 1 mm, (ii) adding a binding agent to the treated biochar fines, (iii) forming the treated biochar fines and binding agent into solid aggregate particles, and (iv) drying the solid aggregate particles, wherein the biochar fines are treated by an infiltrate infused into a porous structure of the biochar fines.

2. The method of claim 1 where forming the fines and binding agent includes the step of passing the treated biochar fines and binding agent through a processor to create the solid aggregate particles.

3. The method of claim 1 where the binding agent is a starch, a clay, a polymer, lignin, cellulose and/or a lipid.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of adding an additive to the treated biochar fines and binding agent.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the step of adding an additive to the treated biochar fines prior to forming the aggregate particles by infusing the additive into the pores of the treated biochar fines.

6. The method of claim 4 where the additive includes one or more of the following: a fertilizer, a nutrient, a vitamin, a supplement, a medication, a microbe, a microbial spore, a fungicide, an insecticide, a nematicide, a plant hormone, secondary signal activators or signaling agent.

7. The method of claim 5 where the additive includes one or more of the following: a fertilizer, a nutrient, a vitamin, a supplement, a medication, a microbe, a microbial spore, a fungicide, an insecticide, a nematicide, a plant hormone, secondary signal activators or signaling agent.

8. The method of claim 1 where the treated biochar fines have been further treated using a vacuum.

9. The method of claim 1 where the treated biochar fines have been further treated using ultrasonics.

10. The method of claim 1 further including a step of heat activating the solid aggregate particles.

11. A method for producing biochar aggregate particles, the method comprising the steps of (i) collecting or producing treated biochar fines less than 1 mm, (ii) adding a binding agent to the treated biochar fines, (iii) forming the treated biochar fines and binding agent into solid aggregate particles, and (iv) activating the binding agent, wherein the biochar fines are treated by an infiltrate infused into a porous structure of the biochar fines.

12. The method of claim 11 where the binding agent is activated with heat.

13. The method of claim 11 where the binding agent is activated through cooling.

14. The method of claim 11 where forming the treated biochar fines and binding agent include the step of passing the treated biochar fines and binding agent through a processor to create the solid aggregate particles.

15. The method of claim 11 where the binding agent is a starch, a clay, a polymer, lignin, cellulose and/or a lipid.

16. The method of claim 11 further including the step of adding an additive to the treated biochar fines and binding agent.

17. The method of claim 11 further including the step of adding an additive to the treated biochar fines prior to forming the aggregate particles by infusing the additive into pores of the treated biochar fines.

18. The method of claim 16 where the additive includes one or more of the following: a fertilizer, a nutrient, a vitamin, a supplement, a medication, a microbe, a microbial spore, a fungicide, an insecticide, a nematicide, a plant hormone, secondary signal activators or signaling agent.

19. The method of claim 17 where the additive includes one or more of the following: a fertilizer, a nutrient, a vitamin, a supplement, a medication, a microbe, a microbial spore, a fungicide, an insecticide, a nematicide, a plant hormone, secondary signal activators or signaling agent.

20. The method of claim 11 where the treated biochars are further treated before forming the treated biochar fines into aggregate particles by using a vacuum.

21. The method of claim 11 where the treated biochars are further treated before forming the treated biochar fines into aggregate particles by using ultrasonics.

22. A method for producing biochar aggregate particles, the method comprising the steps of (i) collecting or producing treated biochar fines less than 1 mm, (ii) adding a binding agent to the treated biochar fines, (iii) forming the treated biochar fines and binding agent into solid aggregate particles using dehydration, wherein the biochar fines are treated by an infiltrate infused into a porous structure of the biochar fines.

23. The method of claim 22 where the binding agent is a starch, a clay, a polymer, lignin, cellulose and/or a lipid.

24. The method of claim 22 further including the step of adding an additive to the treated biochar fines.

25. The method of claim 24 where the additive includes one or more of the following: a fertilizer, a nutrient, a vitamin, a supplement, a medication, a microbe, a microbial spore, a fungicide, an insecticide, a nematicide, a plant hormone, secondary signal activators or signaling agent.

26. A method for producing biochar aggregate particles, the method comprising the steps of (i) collecting or producing biochar fines, (ii) adding a binding agent and a surfactant solution to the biochar fines, and (iii) forming the biochar fines, binding agent and surfactant solution into aggregate particles.

27. The method of claim 26 where forming the biochar fines and binding agent includes the step of passing the biochar fines and binding agent through a processor to create the solid aggregate particles.

28. The method of claim 26 where the binding agent is a starch, a clay, a polymer, lignin, cellulose and/or a lipid.

29. The method of claim 26 further including the step of adding an additive to the biochar fines.

30. The method of claim 26 further including the step of adding an additive to the biochar fines prior to forming the aggregate particles by infusing the additive into pores of the biochar fines.

31. The method of claim 29 where the additive includes one or more of the following: a fertilizer, a nutrient, a vitamin, a supplement, a medication, a microbe, a microbial spore, a fungicide, an insecticide, a nematicide, a plant hormone, secondary signal activators or signaling agent.

32. The method of claim 26 further including the step of heat activating the solid aggregate particles.

Assignments (7)
LICENSE Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: CARBON TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
To: SDI BIOCARBON SOLUTIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 070255/0806 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2025
From: CARBON TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 070114/0775 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 4, 2025
From: FORTRESS CREDIT CORP.
To: CARBON TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 070608/0239 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SECTION 1 OF THE PATENT ASSIGNMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 52680 FRAME 328. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 16, 2024
From: COOL PLANET ENERGY SYSTEMS, INC.
To: CARBON TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 069713/0092 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2024
From: CARBON TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
To: FORTRESS CREDIT CORP.
Reel/Frame 066552/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2020
From: COOL PLANET ENERGY SYSTEMS, INC.
To: CARBON TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 052680/0328 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2019
From: MALYALA, RAJASHEKHARAM; TRAXLER, VERN; SMITH, MATTHEW WILLIAM; KIM, HAN SUK; BONTCHEV, RANKO PANAYOTOV; BELCHER, RICHARD WILSON
To: COOL PLANET ENERGY SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 050975/0547 →