To date, peat is a substance that is used in several areas at once. It gained immense popularity among people who are engaged in agriculture. The use of this composition as an organic fertilizer helps to improve the soil and return its necessary components for growing a variety of crops.
Peat formation
Peat itself is a substance that belongs to the group of natural minerals of plant origin, and is also characterized by a high combustibility index. In appearance, it is usually a mass having a dark brown or black color. The density of peat is quite high, since it is formed from the remnants of bog plants mixed with soil. In order for the desired reaction to begin, air exposure is mandatory.
If the environment is characterized by a lack of oxygen, as well as high humidity, these factors will significantly interfere with the decomposition of wetland vegetation. In addition, due to the high density of peat, this substance is considered the initial stage of coal formation. As a mineral, this resource can be found on the border of the watershed, in the river valley, and most often in peat bogs. In the same places there is an accumulation of this substance.
Types of Natural Resource
There are several factors due to which the substance is divided into three categories. It is important to note that from belonging to a particular group, a lot of indicators change, including peat density.
The first group is the horse. In this case, it is called peat, which is 95% formed from those plants that germinate in the upper layers of the soil, for example, cotton grass, larch, etc. Most often, this fossil can be found on the hills. In addition, the material is characterized by a low degree of decomposition, and the acid value is approximately 3.5-4.5 pH.
The second group of peat is lowland. In this case, the substance is the opposite of the first type and consists of 95% of plants that grow in lowlands. This can be alder, spruce, aspen, etc. Because of this, most often such peat is found in floodplains of rivers, as well as in ravines. The acidity of the composition is extremely small or completely neutral, 5.5-7.0 pH. Due to this indicator, the material is often used to reduce the acidity of the soil, for example.
Subtypes
The last view, which consists of the two previous ones, is a transitional one. Peat belongs to this type, which consists of 10-90% of semi-decomposed plants of the top type, and the rest is lowland plants.
It is worth adding that depending on which plant served as the basis for the emergence of peat, each of the types is also divided into the following subtypes:
Additional groups
To date, six additional groups of raw materials can also be distinguished from which peat can be obtained, the density of which is also different.
- Woody type of peat is considered such if at least 40% of the total mass is sawdust.
- The herbal substance consists of 10% of sawdust, 30% of various mosses, and the rest are other plants.
- Moss peat consists of 70% of moss inclusions, 10% of wood residues, and the rest is plant inclusions.
- Next are a few mixed types. For example, wood-grass contains from 15 to 35% of sawdust, and the rest is grass. There are also tree-moss, where there are also 15-35% of sawdust, and the remaining mass is moss.
- The last species is grass-moss. The content of these residues is from 35 to 65%, but wood inclusions are not more than 10%.
If we talk about the use of this substance, for example, in agricultural activities, then there are only two conditional groups. The first is black or heavy peat, and the second is light or light.
Key indicators of peat
As it has already become clear, peat deposits are swamps, rivers. However, even in the same swamp, peat can have different properties, appearance, as well as structure. All these parameters substantially depend and vary depending on the degree of decomposition of the substances included in its composition.
Suppose, if you take the color of a natural mineral, then it can start from light yellow, and end up completely black. The structure of the material also changes greatly. It can be amorphous or fibrous. Parameters such as the porosity of the fossil, and hence the bulk density of peat, also change.
The greater the percentage of decomposition of the substances that make up peat, the less substances that can be hydrolyzed remain in it, and the amount of humic acids also decreases. In addition, the amount of easily hydrolyzable as well as water-soluble substances decreases.
The main useful property of peat is its ability to accumulate the products of photosynthesis and carbon. If this substance is added to the soil, then moisture permeability and breathability can be significantly improved. In addition, the presence of peat in the soil causes a weakening of the action of pesticides, improving the soil, reducing the level of nitrates.
Description of Peat Oxidate
Peat-based fertilizer is currently used. This plant growth stimulator was developed by Belarusian scientists. The concentration of the product reaches 4%, and in itself it is completely environmentally friendly for humans, animals, bees. The production of peat oxidate occurs through a special processing of the substance, during which all excess substances are removed. The color of this fertilizer is dark brown and is also characterized by good solubility in water.
If we talk about the use of this drug, it significantly enhances the effect of other effects, such as plant protection, mineral fertilizers. In other words, peat for the garden in this form belongs to the category of synergists. This is a category of drugs that do not exert any effect on plants, but only enhance the influence of other agents. The use of this composition can significantly reduce the consumption of expensive imported seed dressers, for example.
Peat for dry closet
To understand how this substance can be used in such a structure, you need to know what it consists of. The basis is two containers, one of which must contain a reagent, and the second is intended for the accumulation of waste. Another important element is the handle on one of the containers, which will allow you to fill up organic waste with a peat mass. Also available should be a pipe for hoods, at least 4 meters long.
In such designs peat for a dry closet with an admixture of sawdust is used as a reagent. In addition, microorganisms that are capable of processing organic matter must also be added to the drives. If you use such a dry closet at a moderate pace, then a peat filler is quite enough for the sorption of liquid waste. If you increase the level of operation, then the tanks should be equipped with a special outlet for the liquid.
Fuel briquettes
To date, peat briquettes can be used for heating. This material has several advantages.
- A high level of application safety, which consists in the fact that when ignition does not occur, the formation of sparks, and during combustion, carcinogenic and toxic gases are not formed.
- Combustible properties of fuel from peat can persist for several years.
- Peat bars are an almost completely natural product with a minimal amount of additives.
- Storage of peat briquettes requires much less than storage of coal or firewood.
- When buying this material in bulk, you can save a significant amount of money. The cost of such fuel is much lower than that of coal and gas.
However, like any other substance, peat briquettes also have their drawbacks. In this case, it is one, but rather unpleasant - it is flammable. In order to avoid problems, it is necessary to store briquettes from peat as far as possible from those places where the fire is burning, or from any heating appliances.
Mining methods
To date, the extraction of substances is carried out according to two main methods. The first method is called milling and is designed to produce milled peat. The second method is excavation, in which lump peat is obtained. However, it is important to note here that these methods have been used for a long time and are not without drawbacks, because of which they are actively used only for the extraction of raw materials on an industrial scale. As for the development of smaller peat deposits, for example, to meet the needs of local energy, the use of any of these two traditional methods is impractical from an economic point of view. They are quite complicated due to preparatory work to drain the field, because of preparatory work to equip peat extraction.
Milling method of extraction
It is worth considering the advantages and disadvantages of both traditional mining methods. The first one is milling. Among the advantages are the following:
- low cost of extracted products;
- the possibility of high mechanization of production;
- increased seasonal fee.
Among the disadvantages are the following:
- It is necessary to carry out expensive work to drain the peat deposit;
- in summer, the risk of peat fire in the drained zone is greatly increased;
- great dependence of work on meteorological conditions.
When extracting raw materials by any method, it must be remembered that its properties vary greatly depending on the composition, and the density of peat in kg / m3 can even vary from 200 to 890. As can be seen from these data, the gap is very large. The properties of the substance are important to consider, since their performance greatly affects the process of peat processing.
Sod peat extraction
An excavator method is used to extract lump peat. The name of the method speaks for itself. Among the advantages of this method, it stands out that it can be dried even after extraction. Humidity can be reduced to 35%. Sod peat is not affected by such an effect as self-heating. As for the bulk density of lump peat, it is about one and a half times higher than that of raw materials obtained by a milling method of extraction. In addition, due to the fact that the density of lump peat is much higher and the humidity is lower, its thermal qualities are at a high level.
The disadvantages are definitely the fact that it is necessary to evaporate a huge amount of moisture, since the initial humidity is from 80 to 88%. During the machining of peat masses, significant energy costs arise. Low productivity of the used technological equipment.