• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.527-540
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• 2018

In this study, the characteristics of the white charcoal from charcoal kilns made for both charcoal production and thermotherapy and from the traditional charcoal kiln were compared and examined. A charcoal kiln for thermotherapy as a secondary purpose was made to minimize environmental problems such as fine dust and harmful gas generated from sealed charcoal kiln in consideration of comfort and safety. White Charcoal produced from the charcoal kiln for both charcoal production and thermotherapy had higher ash and volatile matter and lower fixed carbon than that from the traditional charcoal kiln. The density of the white charcoal produced from the charcoal kiln for both charcoal production and thermotherapy was slightly higher than that of the traditional one, but the equilibrium moisture content and pH were not significantly different. The calorific value, refinement degree, hardness and anatomical structure were not different between the two. It was concluded that the white charcoal produced from the advanced charcoal kiln for thermotherapy as a secondary purpose meets the quality certification standards of Korea Forest Research Institute.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.230-237
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• 2011

The study was performed to investigate the characteristics of charcoal and temperature change of a kiln's inner and outer walls in carbonization process using improved kiln. In this kiln system, carbonization process was completed in eight days. In the kiln, the ignition temperature was kept about $720^{\circ}C$. And then the temperature were increased gradually prior to be refined. Finally, the temperature in refining process was reached to maximum point, $1,000^{\circ}C$. In the chimney, the temperature was increased gradually from $90^{\circ}C$ at ignition to $750^{\circ}C$ at refining. The temperature change of the kiln wall resembles a temperature change progress curve during a carbonization process. The highest temperature of the kiln wall that appeared by a carbonization process was around $500^{\circ}C$. As a result of having measured an inner wall and the outer wall of the kiln using an infrared thermography camera, it was judged with there being considerable latent heat on kiln wall and ceiling. Fixed carbon contented of charcoal was 85.9~89.9%. Refining degree of charcoal, hardness, calorific value and pH were l, 12, 7,047~7,456 kcal/kg, 9.0~9.9, respectively. The yield of wood charcoal was 13.8%, and compared to conventional kiln's yield increased 1.5%.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.250-257
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• 2017

Background: Tasks involved in traditional charcoal production expose workers to various levels of charcoal dust and wood smoke. This study aimed to identify specific tasks influencing lung function and respiratory symptoms. Methods: Interviews, direct observation, and task/symptom checklists were used to collect data from 50 charcoal-production workers on 3 nonwork days followed by 11 workdays. The peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was measured four times per day. Results: The PEFR was reduced and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms increased over the first 6-7 workdays. The PEFR increased until evening on nonwork days but not on workdays. Loading the kiln and collecting charcoal from within the kiln markedly reduced the PEFR and increased the odds of respiratory symptoms. Conclusion: Tasks involving entry into the kiln were strongly associated with a short-term drop in the PEFR and the occurrence of respiratory symptoms, suggesting a need for the use of protective equipment and/or the operation of an effective kiln ventilation system.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.772-786
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• 2017

This study investigated the characteristics of wood tar, produced as a byproduct during the production of charcoal using oak wood by the modified traditional kiln and mechanical steel kiln. The wood tar was analyzed with a number of techniques, including Py-GC/MS, NMR, MALDI-TOF, FT-IR, TG and DSC. The Py-GC/MS analysis indicated that modified traditional kiln generated a higher hydrocarbon ratio in the wood tar than that of mechanical steel kiln. On the other hand, mechanical steel kiln resulted in a higher proportion of phenolic and aromatic hydrocarbon components than that of modified traditional kiln. Those results were also confirmed by NMR analysis. The MALDI-TOF analysis suggested that the wood tar produced in the mechanical steel kiln had a slightly higher molecular weight than the wood tar produced in the modified traditional kiln. In addition, the FT-IR analysis showed characteristic peak of symmetrical stretching vibration of $CH_3$ from the modified traditional kiln while characteristic peaks of the C-C and C-O stretching vibration were observed from the mechanical steel kiln. Moreover, TG and DSC analysis suggested that the mechanical steel kiln is more thermally stable than that of modified traditional kiln. Those findings clearly showed that the method of making charcoal greatly affects the properties of wood tar.

• Journal of Korea Foresty Energy
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2003

Three different aged Chinese bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescense; 3, 5, and 7 years) was carbonized using three different types of kilns (special, improved and simple kiln) and their physicochemical charcoal properties were investigated. The fixed carbon of the bamboo charcoal prepared from the special kiln (800 - $1,000^{\circ}C$) tended to be decreased, while the specific surface area tended to be increased, according to the increase of bamboo ages. The bamboo charcoal prepared from the 5-year-aged showed the highest value in iodine value. In the improved kiln (600 - $700^{\circ}C$), the specific surface area and the iodine value increased with the growth period. In the simple kiln (400 - $500^{\circ}C$), the amount of volatile matter of the bamboo charcoal was approximately two times higher than that obtained from the special and improved kilns. Despite of the high amount of volatile matter in the simple kiln, the fixed carbon was more than 80%. The 5-year-aged bamboo charcoal showed the highest levels in specific surface area and iodine value. The physical properties of the bamboo charcoals prepared from the 3- and 5-year-aged Chinese bamboo were relatively worse those of Korean bamboo of the same ages. It was probably thought caused by less dense structure of the Chinese bamboo of 3- and 5-year-aged than the domestic in morphological aspects.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.601-614
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• 2013

The commercial charcoal kiln was projected the largest source of biomass burning sector in Korea. Commercial charcoal kiln was operated to emit air pollutants into the air without any air pollution prevention equipment. The object of this field survey was to understand characteristics of air pollutants concentration and emission factors and to provide preliminary data for effective processor from oak charcoal manufacturing process. As result of field survey, TSP, $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ concentration from charcoal kiln were 400~37,000 $mg/m^3$. These values were over the 100 $mg/m^3$ in TSP, this value was effluent quality standard of Clean Air Conservation Act. The average concentration of CO, $SO_2$ and TVOC were 2~5%. 0~110 ppm and 820~10,000 ppm respectively. The emission factors were 42.4 g-PM/kg-oak in TSP, 40.3 g-PM/kg-oak in $PM_{10}$, 38.2 g-PM/kg-oak in $PM_{2.5}$, 182.5 g-CO/kg-oak, 1.0 g-NO/kg-oak, $SO_2$ 0.2 g-$SO_2/kg$-oak and 104.4 g-TVOC/kg-oak. The part of commercial charcoal kiln had air pollution prevention equipment but it was difficult to work properly. Much wood tar excreted in exhaust emissions from oak charcoal manufacturing process. This wood tar was cause of many troubles sticking in the air pollutant prevention equipment. For handling particulate matters and gaseous air pollutants from oak charcoal manufacturing process in biomass burning, air pollutant prevention equipment design and management needs preprocessor for removal wood tar.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 2014

Exhaust gas emitted as a result of the incomplete combustion of biomass in charcoal kilns includes odor compounds as well as other air pollutants such as particulate matters, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. A number of offensive odor compounds affect quality of life. In this study, odor emissions were investigated from biomass burning in a pilot-scale charcoal kiln and a commercial-scale kiln. Complex odor from emission source reached up to 10,000 dilutions to threshold during the study period. Combustion fume was found to contain reduced sulfur compounds, aldehydes, and volatile organic compounds. Hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan were the major odorants which highly contributed to the offensive odor.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.152-162
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• 2013

The physico-chemical characteristics and nanostructure of the aerosol samples from a coal-fired power plant, a charcoal kiln and diesel vehicles were investigated with focusing on black carbon (BC). Aerosols from the coal-fired power plant were mostly comprised of mineral ash spheres which are heterogeneously mixed. The main components of the aerosols from coal-fired power plant were calcium compounds, iron oxide, alumino-silicate without BC. The typical combustion-generated BC which shows the shape of bunch of grapes with 20~50 nm particles which were detected in aerosol particles from diesel vehicles. The nanostructure of each BC particle shows the shape of concentric circles which is comprised of closely-packed graphene layers. Aerosols from charcoal kiln were likely condensed organic carbon generated from the low-temperature combustion process.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.277-289
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• 2019

Herein, a case study discussing the effect of carbonaceous aerosol pollution, which is emitted during the charcoal kiln manufacturing processes or carbonization processes, on the atmospheric environment is presented . In South Korea, in situ analysis of different charcoal production plants specialized in the production of charcoal sauna indicate that the emitted organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) aerosols are significantly influenced by the nature of the biomass and technological processes, i.e., treatment or emissions abatement systems for the exhaust effluent gases. In detail, total carbon (TC), which is calculated as the sum of OC and EC emission factors, varied widely from a charcoal production site to another ranging from 21.8 to 35.8 gTC/kg-oak, where the mean value for the considered production sites was approximately 28 gTC/kg-oak (N = 7 and sum = 196.4). Results indicate that the emission factors from a modern charcoal production process in South Korea are quantitatively lower in comparison with the traditional kiln. This study aims to propose advanced wood processes for the production of charcoal from the viewpoint of environmental protection policy and green engineering.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.115-126
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• 2013

Recently Korea considers the source of biomass burning emissions reflecting national characteristic, so that includes the inventory of emission source but preceding research is rarely implemented in Korea. Therefore, a study on characteristics of greenhouse gas emissions from biomass burning is necessary and it also makes the source management effectively when the climate-atmospheric management system takes effect. In this study, using the manufactured charcoal kiln and the number of experiment was three times to get a reliable experiment result. The sampling time was decided by changing degree in charcoal kiln and charcoal manufacturing process. The results of calculation greenhouse gas emission factor from charcoal kiln were $668g\;CO_2/kg$, $20g\;CH_4/kg$, $0.01g\;N_2O/kg$. Using the emission factor developed in this study, estimate the emissions from charcoal kiln in Korea. The results of calculation were $46,040ton\;CO_2/yr$, $1,378ton\;CH_4/yr$, $0.69ton\;N_2O/yr$ and greenhouse gas emissions applying GWP are as follows. $CH_4$ emissions was $28,947ton\;CO_2eq./yr$, $N_2O$ emissions was $214ton\;CO_2eq./yr$. As a results, Gross emissions of charcoal kiln in Korea was $75,201ton\;CO_2eq./yr$, but the oak used in this study is included to the biomass so emissions of $CO_2$ are excluded. Therefore the net emissions of charcoal kiln in Korea was $29,161ton\;CO_2eq./yr$.