Yingchao Yang

Mizzou Engineer Yingchao Yang and collaborators are developing a new biochar-based foam to reduce the use of harmful chemicals in controlling fires. Yang, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, is using biochar, a form of plant waste, to support long-term forest management and prevent out-of-control wildfires. Biochar is created by burning organic material, such as wood or plants, in an environment without oxygen. Because biochar is carbon-rich, it has numerous environmental uses, including both as a fertilizer and a composting medium. It also has the potential to mitigate climate change by acting as a carbon sink, locking CO2 into soil instead of the atmosphere. And it can be used agriculturally to improve water retention and reduce soil erosion. Yang is looking to add controlling the spread of fires to this list, with research supported by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Products Laboratory.