Biochar is a stable, carbon-rich material originating from biomass that is thermally treated under low or no oxygen conditions, typically through pyrolysis or gasification. As such, it forms a key link between raw biomass and a wide range of carbon-based products and applications.

This module focuses on understanding how biochar is formed, how its properties emerge, and how these properties can be influenced and assessed. Biochar is not defined by a single characteristic; instead, its behaviour and performance are shaped by a sequence of decisions along the production chain—from feedstock selection to conversion conditions and further processing steps.

The module is structured to build this understanding step by step:

• You begin by exploring the key properties of biochar, such as carbon stability, surface characteristics, mineral content and safety-related parameters.
• You then examine conversion, with a focus on pyrolysis, to understand how process conditions influence product yields and material properties.
• The module continues with pre-treatment, using IFBB as an example of how residual biomasses can be upgraded into more suitable feedstocks for biochar production.
• In post-treatment, you explore how biochar properties can be further modified, for example through steam activation, and what this means for material performance and process outcomes.
• Finally, the learning unit on quality integrates all previous steps and introduces frameworks for assessing biochar along the dimensions of safety, functionality and sustainability.

Together, these learning units provide a coherent view of biochar as a carbon material shaped by feedstock, processing and quality requirements. This understanding forms the foundation for the next module, Bioproducts, where the application and use of biochar in different product systems are addressed.