Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a carbon black pigment from a microbial biomass. In certain aspects, the method involves providing a microbial biomass solution with a plurality microbial cells in an aqueous solvent; nucleating the plurality of microbial cells by adding a first soluble ion to the microbial biomass solution; initiating crystal formation in and/or on the plurality of microbial cells by adding a second soluble ion to the microbial biomass solution, forming a plurality of crystal encrusted microbial cells, where the charge of the first soluble ion is the opposite of the charge of the second soluble ion and where the crystals are formed from precipitation of the first and second ions; and performing thermal processing of the plurality of crystal encrusted microbial cells to form a charred biomass; washing the charred biomass to form a microbechar.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a carbon black pigment from a microbial biomass. In certain aspects, the method involves providing a microbial biomass solution with a plurality microbial cells in an aqueous solvent; nucleating the plurality of microbial cells by adding a first soluble ion to the microbial biomass solution; initiating crystal formation in and/or on the plurality of microbial cells by adding a second soluble ion to the microbial biomass solution, forming a plurality of crystal encrusted microbial cells, where the charge of the first soluble ion is the opposite of the charge of the second soluble ion and where the crystals are formed from precipitation of the first and second ions; and performing thermal processing of the plurality of crystal encrusted microbial cells to form a charred biomass; washing the charred biomass to form a microbechar.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a carbon black pigment from a microbial biomass. In certain aspects, the method involves providing a microbial biomass solution with a plurality microbial cells in an aqueous solvent; nucleating the plurality of microbial cells by adding a first soluble ion to the microbial biomass solution; initiating crystal formation in and/or on the plurality of microbial cells by adding a second soluble ion to the microbial biomass solution, forming a plurality of crystal encrusted microbial cells, where the charge of the first soluble ion is the opposite of the charge of the second soluble ion and where the crystals are formed from precipitation of the first and second ions; and performing thermal processing of the plurality of crystal encrusted microbial cells to form a charred biomass; washing the charred biomass to form a microbechar.

Abstract: The present invention relates to fertiliser composition comprising from 95% to 1% by weight, based on the total weight of the fertiliser composition, of a phosphate fertiliser and from 5% to 99% by weight, based on the total weight of the fertiliser composition, of a phosphate binding substance selected from the group consisting of red mud that has been at least partially reacted with a material comprising at least one of calcium ions and magnesium ions, red mud that has been at least partially neutralised by addition of acid, red mud that has been at least partially neutralised by treatment with carbon dioxide, and red mud that has been at least partially neutralised by addition of at least one mineral containing at least one of calcium ions and magnesium ions, the phosphate binding substance having a reaction pH, when mixed with 5 times its weight of water, of less than 10.5. There are further provided methods for preparing the fertiliser and methods for fertilising soils.

Abstract: To support interleaving of optical channels and to provide sufficient isolation between such interleaved channels, a circulator (60-62) receives, on an optical fiber (16-18), a broadband signal containing a plurality of adjacent channels. The circulator selectively routes the broadband signal through a filter (64, 66) to isolate, on an individual basis, at least one desired channel. A filtered signal, corresponding to the at least one desired channel, is then output from the filter (64-66) and reflected back into the filter by a mirror (68-70) such that the at least one desired channel is subjected to a second filtering process that further improves isolation of the at least one desired channel. Following this second filtering process, the at least one desired channel is applied to the circulator (60-62) for re-inserting into the optical fiber (16-18), as illustrated in FIG. 6.