Energy potential, flow characteristics and stability of water and alcohol-based rice-straw biochar slurry fuel

Biochar/char slurry (CS) has the potential to be a biofuel in transport and energy applications. This work investigates the effects of varying the liquid suspension medium on the stability, rheology, and higher heating value (HHV) of a biochar-based-slurry biofuel. The slurry was formed with 40 %wt. of rice straw biochar (RSB) and water and ethanol-water mixtures as the suspension mediums. Three surfactants, sodium lignosulfonate (SL), sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), and sodium dodecylbenzene-sulfonate (SDS), were used in water, whereas only SDS was used within the ethanol-water mixtures.