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Biocarbón
Procesos termoquímicos
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Resumen
En este artículo se examina cómo la composición de la biomasa agroindustrial y las condiciones de pirólisis determinan la estructura molecular y el desempeño funcional del biochar desde una perspectiva de ingeniería de materiales. En el contexto colombiano y latinoamericano, la valorización descentralizada de residuos agrícolas y forestales (cascarilla de arroz, bagazo de caña, podas urbanas, residuos de palma y pulpa de café) representa una vía estratégica para la transición energética y la economía circular, en línea con los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible y el enfoque One Health. Se describen los procesos termoquímicos (torrefacción, pirólisis lenta y rápida y gasificación) y las rutas biológicas complementarias y se analizan los mecanismos que rigen la formación del biochar: despolimerización, fragmentación, condensación aromática y desarrollo de defectos estructurales. A partir de estos fundamentos, se construye una matriz que vincula las principales aplicaciones del biochar —secuestro de carbono, mejoramiento de suelos, catálisis heterogénea, adsorción de contaminantes y almacenamiento electroquímico de energía— con las características estructurales y las condiciones de síntesis que las favorecen. Se concluye que el biochar debe entenderse como un material diseñado, y no como un subproducto indiferenciado de la pirólisis, y se propone la ingeniería de biochar como marco para orientar su desarrollo hacia aplicaciones de alto valor agregado.
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