Peat Powder Research Articles

Experimental and Statistical Evaluation of the Mechanical Performance of (Jute and Cocopeat) Plant and (Silk) Animal-based Hybrid Fibers Reinforced with Epoxy Polymers

ABSTRACT In India, research on the development of new composite materials is extensively increased. In the present study, composites are developed with the renewable materials of plant and animal-based natural fibers. The present study will lead to the experimental and statistical investigation of the composite produced with a combination of plant-based natural fibers, i.e., jute and coco peat powder with the animal-based natural fibers, i.e., silk. In the present study, jute and silk were utilized as reinforcement material, cocopeat powder as a filler material (5%), and epoxy resin as matrix material (35%). The composites were prepared with the varying composition of reinforcement material, and also the filler and matrix material were kept constant. Furthermore, mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural, and impact tests were performed on the developed composites. Further, a comparative study was drawn on the mechanical test results of tensile and flexural strength of the composite using power and polynomial regression model. The regression coefficient (R2) was used to study the correlation between the experimental and predicted values. The results showed that the polynomial regression is the best suitable mathematical model than the power regression model for predicting the composites’ tensile and flexural test performance.

Influence of Coco Peat Powder on The Solar Still Productivity: An Exergo-Economic Study

Experimental and theoretical impact of the coco peat powder on the performance of conventional solar still (CSS) compared to MSS has been reported. Dunkle model was used in this experiment as the mathematical model. With the help of this model variation of partial pressure, internal heat transfer coefficients, yield, internal efficiency, and exergy efficiency has been evaluated. The average partial pressure for MSS is 94.19% higher than CSS in the experiment of 13 h. Use of coco peat powder the value of h?? and h?? were 9.63% and 2.53% respectively were recorded higher than the CSS. There was a rise of 30.89% of distillate output from the MSS when compared to CSS. It seems that the use of coco peat powder has enhanced the exergy efficiency by 28.14% of MSS when compared with CSS.

THE EFFICIENCY OF USING PEAT AS A FEED SUPPLEMENT IN COMPOUND FEED FOR CHICKENS

In recent years, interest in the use of peat as a feed supplement has increased, particularly due to its capacity to prevent enteric diseases and to stimulate growth in animals and poultries. Peat is an easily available natural material and a source of biologically active substances widely used, not only in agriculture but in human and animal medicine as well. Biological activity of various peat preparations is associated not only with fluctuations in the chemical compositions, but also with different application techniques. experiment was carried out on two groups of poultry under the conditions of a poultry farm in the Republic of Moldova. Its purpose was to determine the use of a feed supplement - peat concentrate as a new unconventional feed ingredient in the composition of mixed feed for laying hens and its influence on their egg production, average weight and category of eggs. The objectives of the study included the study of the chemical composition of the peat supplement and the determination of the effect of peat powder additive on the egg production. The effect of the dosage of the peat preparation in the amount of 1% (experimental group) was studied and the obtained results were compared with the control group, in which the laying hens consumed the basic compound feed. The high concentration of active ingredients and the uniqueness of the components of the peat feed supplement, the adsorbing properties due to the presence of humic acids and lignin in its composition, made it possible to increase the natural immune response in laying hens by increasing the egg production of laying hens by 7.2%; by improving the quality of products such as the average egg weight by 4.72%; egg mass by 12.6%; the height of the egg white by 23.96%; the width of the egg white by 2.14%; and an increase in colour intensity by 0.43 units, while reducing the cost of food.

Peat Fibers and Finely Ground Peat Powder for Application in Asphalt

In this study, the feasibility of a natural peat fiber and finely ground peat powder as a modifier for bitumen was investigated. Initially, the as-received peat material was characterized in detail: the material was ground to various degrees, separated into fiber and powder fractions, and the gradation of the powder fraction as well as the size of the fibers were determined. A possible solubility in bitumen, the moisture content, and the density of both fractions were evaluated, and a limited chemical characterization of the fibers was conducted. Secondly, the rheological behavior of the powder and the fibers when blended with bitumen was evaluated. Additionally, a limited asphalt study was conducted. The rheological data showed the stiffening effects of the powder fraction and the presence of a fiber network, which were obvious as a plateau modulus towards lower frequencies. The fiber network was strain-dependent and showed elastic effects. This was further confirmed by the multiple stress creep recovery (MSCRT) tests. These tests also indicated that the fibers should improve the rutting resistance, although it was not possible to confirm this in asphalt rutting tests. Asphalt drainage tests demonstrated that adding dry peat, whether this is ground or not, is effective in reducing the binder drainage. However, the data also revealed that the amount of added peat fibers and powder should be limited to avoid difficulties in the compaction of these asphalt mixes.

Removal of metal(oid)s from contaminated water using iron-coated peat sorbent

This study aimed at combining iron and peat to produce a sorbent suitable for a simultaneous removal of cations and anions from a solution. Peat powder, an industrial residue, was coated with iron by immersing peat into iron salt solutions. The adsorption efficiency of the newly produced sorbent towards As, Cr, Cu and Zn was tested by means of batch adsorption experiments at a constant pH value of 5. Coating of Fe on peat significantly increased the adsorption of As (from <5% to 80%) and Cr (from <3% to 25%) in comparison to uncoated peat. Removal of cations on coated peat slightly decreased (by 10–15%), yet remained within acceptable range. Electron Microscopy combined with X-Ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy revealed that iron coating on the peat was rather homogenous and As and Cr were abundantly adsorbed on the surface. By contrast, Cu and Zn displayed a sparing distribution on the surface of the iron coated peat. These results indicate that iron-peat simultaneously target sufficient amounts of both cations and anions and can be used for a one-step treatment of contaminated groundwater.

Exposure of refractory materials during high-temperature gasification of a woody biomass and peat mixture

Finding resilient refractory materials for slagging gasification systems have the potential to reduce costs and improve the overall plant availability by extending the service life. In this study, different refractory materials were evaluated under slagging gasification conditions. Refractory probes were continuously exposed for up to 27h in an atmospheric, oxygen blown, entrained flow gasifier fired with a mixture of bark and peat powder. Slag infiltration depth and microstructure were studied using SEM EDS. Crystalline phases were identified with powder XRD. Increased levels of Al, originating from refractory materials, were seen in all slags. The fused cast materials were least affected, even though dissolution and slag penetration could still be observed. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations were done for mixtures of refractory and slag, from which phase assemblages were predicted and viscosities for the liquid parts were estimated.

Coco peat powder as a source of magnetic sorbent for selective oil–water separation

Coco peat powder (CPD), the main by-product of the coconut palm, is an excellent source of environmentally friendly magnetic sorbent with potential application in oil-spill cleanup. In order to develop the best resource for the agricultural crop and alleviate environmental stress caused by disposal of natural CPD, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were immobilized on coco peat powder (CPD) with the aid of mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) and then chemically modified by low-surface-energy octadecylamine (ODA) to fabricate a novel magnetic coco peat powder (MCPD) for selective oil–water separation. The obtained MCPD, which had high hydrophobicity (water contact angle: 135±3°) and saturation magnetization of 27.6 emu/g, exhibited remarkable sorption efficiency for convenient removal of oils from water and displayed excellent separating performance under an auxiliary magnetic field. The results indicated that the highest amount of oil sorption on MCPD reached 8.57 times of its own weight, and the oil could be desorbed from the oil-loaded MCPD and easily recycled for at least 11 cycles. The oil-loaded MCPD also exhibited high recyclability, with a loss of less than 15.32% in oil-sorption capacity after 11 cycles, which suggests that the MCPD prepared through the proposed synthesis process has high potential for application in large-scale removal of spilled oils from water. This work also provides a universal strategy for developing an oil-pollution treatment using natural resources from the waste stream.

Microencapsulation Technique with Organic Additives for Biocontrol Agents

Abstract The aim of these studies was to develop an effective formulation for microbial strains active in plant protection. Emulsification technique in oil was used to produce alginate microcapsules supplemented with organic additives to improve production process and stability of the preparations during storage. The release of microorganisms from the capsules in soil and their effectiveness in biocontrol of Fusarium wilt were evaluated. Three bacterial strains Burkholderia cepacia strain CAT5, Bacillus spp. strains PZ9 and SZ61, and fungus Trichoderma virens TRS106 were immobilized separately in calcium alginate supplemented with chitosan, peat powder, or skim milk. The productivity of microcapsules was enhanced by 60% when peat was added to the alginate matrix. Peat reduced also contamination of the capsules during storage, significantly enhancing their quality. By contrast, the addition of skim milk reduced quality of the microcapsules. The additives did not influence the viability of entrapped microorganisms and their release in soil. The survival of the microbial cells was mainly related to the kind of microorganism used, and the highest viability showed Bacillus sp. PZ9 and Trichoderma TRS106. Lyophilization of the microcapsules appeared to be unfavorable by reducing microbial viability in the capsules and in the soil after application. The best properties: good storage ability and sufficient microbial release in the soil, exhibited wet microcapsules amended with peat. These capsules were used to control Fusarium wilt in tomato plants. The protective effect was obtained when the microcapsule-entrapped bacteria PZ9 were used. The effectiveness of this bacterium was comparable with fungicide. Peat-amended microcapsules entrapping Bacillus PZ9 showed the best quality and may have potential for commercial use.

Soot Concentrations in an Atmospheric Entrained Flow Gasifier with Variations in Fuel and Burner Configuration Studied Using Diode-Laser Extinction Measurements

Soot concentration measurements were performed using diode-laser extinction in an atmospheric air-blown entrained flow gasifier at two vertical levels. The gasifier was operated at different air-fuel equivalence ratios and with variations in fuel and burner configurations. Two fuels were investigated: wood powder and peat powder. These were burned using two burner configurations, one giving a rotating flow inside the gasifier (swirl), and one where the fuel and air were injected parallel with the gasifier axis (jet). The diode-laser measurements were performed at the wavelength 808 nm from which the soot concentrations were estimated, and additionally at 450 nm in order to gain insight into the spectral dependence of the extinction to estimate measurement quality. Additional diagnostic techniques were used, such as an electrical low-pressure impactor (ELPI) for soot size distributions and gas chromatography for species concentration measurements. The results show that wood powder produces higher soot concentrations than peat powder, especially at lower air-fuel equivalence ratios. Furthermore, the burner configuration had in general much less impact than the choice of fuel on the soot concentration.

Development of Pusa 5SD for seed dressing and Pusa Biopellet 10G for soil application formulations of Trichoderma harzianum and their evaluation for integrated management of dry root rot of mungbean ( Vigna radiata)

Various seed dressing and soil application formulations were developed from Trichoderma viride, T. virens and T. harzianum to increase the shelf life of bio-formulations used to manage dry root rot ( Rhizoctonia bataticola) of mungbean ( Vigna radiata), a major yield limiting factor in mungbean production. The shelf life of the formulations developed in the present study was monitored by counting colony forming units (cfu) up to 25 months of storage at room temperature (26 ± 8 °C). A newly developed seed dressing formulation, Pusa 5SD based on peat powder (47.5%), Sabudana powder ( Manihot esculenta) (47.5%) and carboxymethyl cellulose (5%) and a newly developed soil application formulation, Pusa Biopellet (PBP) based on sodium alginate, aluminium silicate, Sabudana powder and tap water (1:5:5:100 w/w/w/v) exhibited longer shelf life. Another formulation Pusa Biogranule (PBG) based on wheat and pulse brans varied in cfu counts during different periods of storage. Pusa 5SD could be used up to 25 months of storage while PBP 10G and PBG 5 could be used up to 15 months of storage (>10 5 cfu). The efficacy of the formulations was evaluated in pot experiments against the disease. In these experiments, T. harzianum based PBP 10G and PBG 5 for soil application, and Pusa 5SD for seed treatment were found to be superior to others in reducing the dry root rot incidence, and increasing the seed germination and shoot and root lengths. However, a combination of soil application of PBP 10G ( T. harzianum) and seed treatment with T. harzianum based Pusa 5SD + carboxin was found superior to the use of any of these formulations alone in reducing the dry root rot incidence (87.2%) and increasing the seed germination (43.0%), shoot length (40.3%), root length (37.0%) and grain yield (54.6%) of mungbean crop over those of untreated control under sick field conditions.

Upgrading peat to gas and liquid fuels in supercritical water with catalysts

Peat was effectively upgraded into gas and liquid fuels by supercritical water treatment at 380–440°C with and without catalyst. Treatment of the peat without using catalyst at a temperature ranging from 350°C to 440°C generally led to 5–10wt% yield of water soluble oil (WSO), about 15wt% yield of heavy oil (HO), 20–27wt% yield of Gas and 20–30wt% yield of Char. As expected, the Gas yield increased and the yields of oils and Char generally decreased at a higher operation temperature. The optimal conditions for a greater HO yield appeared to be a lower residence time and a lower water-to-peat ratio (i.e., a higher initial biomass concentration). Among all the catalysts tested including 0.1M K2CO3, 0.1M FeSO4, 0.1M RuO2, and 0.1M and 1.0M Ca(OH)2, 0.1M Ca(OH)2 was found the most effective for enhancing the production of liquid oils of both HO and WSO. The presence of 1.0M Ca(OH)2 at 410°C produced extremely low CO2 yield, due to the adsorption reaction of CO2 over the Ca(OH)2 catalyst, and a fourfold increase in H2, resulting in a high quality gas product with a HHV of 27.7MJ/kg, as oppose to only 2.81MJ/kg for the gas product without catalyst. Among all the catalysts tested, RuO2 proved to be the best catalyst for upgrading peat to H2-rich gas products, and the formation of H2 attained as high as 2.44mmol/g with 0.1M RuO2 at 410°C, compared with 0.05mmol/g without catalyst. The HOs obtained from the SCW treatments, rich in phenolic compounds and fatty acids, possess much greater caloric values (with a HHV of >33–35MJ/kg) than the dried peat powder used (with a HHV of about 21MJ/kg).

Inoculant formulation and fertilizer nitrogen effects on field pea: Nodulation, N2 fixation and nitrogen partitioning

Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) acreage has expanded rapidly in the past 10 yr in the Peace River Region of Alberta as well as western Canada. Understanding nitrogen dynamics of Rhizobium inoculants and applied N will provide farmers opportunities to improve N nutrition of field pea. Field experiments were conducted (a) to compare the effects of soil inoculation using granular inoculant, and seed inoculation using peat powder and liquid inoculants with an uninoculated check, on field pea nodulation and N2 fixation, and (b) to determine whether starter N is required by field pea to enhance N2 fixation. The effects of inoculant formulation on nodule number, N accumulation and N2 fixation were in the order: granular &gt; peat powder &gt; liquid = uninoculated. Field pea, from soil-applied inoculant, accumulated more N prior to and during podfilling than field pea with seed-applied inoculant. Fertilizer N application rates &lt; 40 kg N ha-1 had no significant effects on biomass N at flatpod, indicating that starter N was not necessary. Application rates greater than 40 kg N ha-1 reduced nodulation, but the total amounts of N accumulated by plants did not vary. The close proximity of a highly concentrated band of N fertilizer had a greater impact on nodulation and subsequent N2 fixation than the residual soil N level. Under field conditions, soil-applied inoculant improved N nutrition of field pea compared to seed-applied inoculation, with or without applied urea-N. Key words: Granular inoculant, Pisum sativum, Rhizobium, inoculation, field pea, nodulation, N2 fixation

Inoculant formulation and fertilizer nitrogen effects on field pea: Crop yield and seed quality

Appropriate rhizobial inoculation and fertility management can increase field pea (Pisum sativa) seed yield and improve yield stability in western Canada. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of inoculation method and N fertilizer application on pea seed yield and quality. The effects of soil inoculant (granular) and seed-applied inoculant (peat powder or liquid) used with and without urea-N application on field pea were investigated in the Peace River region of Western Canada. At low applied N rates, field pea biomass was significantly higher for soil-applied inoculant as compared to seed-applied inoculant. Soil-applied inoculant resulted in 15, 18, 9 and 0% higher pea biomass yield at the flatpod stage than seed-applied inoculant at 0, 20, 40 and 80 kg N ha-1, respectively. Averaged over all N rates, soil-applied inoculant resulted in 17, 50, and 56% higher pea seed yield than peat inoculant, liquid inoculant, or the uninoculated check, respectively. Soil-applied inoculant increased the proportion of the biological yield converted to seed compared to seed-applied inoculant. Seed protein concentration increased by 12 and 15% when inoculant was soil-applied compared with seedapplied or uninoculated pea, respectively. Without N fertilizer, soil-applied inoculant increased field pea biomass, seed yield and protein concentration and contributed to increasing yield stability compared with seed-applied inoculant. Key words: Granular inoculant, Pisum sativum, field pea, inoculation, seed protein, seed yield

Rhizobium population dynamics in the pea rhizosphere of rhizobial inoculant strain applied in different formulations.

The effect of inoculant formulation on the population dynamics of rhizobia in the pea rhizosphere was investigated using a streptomycin-resistant mutant of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viceae NITRAGIN128C56G (128C56G strR). The isolate was formulated into liquid, peat powder, and granular peat carriers, and was tested on pea at field sites near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Beaverlodge, Alberta, in 1996 and 1997. The liquid and peat powder formulations were applied to seed while the granular inoculant was applied to soil. In three out of four site years, population dynamics were similar among formulations: an initial decline or lag period lasting 2-5 days followed by an increase to approximately 10(5) colony-forming units (CFU)/seedling by 14-28 days after planting (DAP) and, where sampled, a continuing increase from 10(7) to 10(8) CFU/plant at 63 DAP. In these same site years, nodule number (not determined at Beaverlodge in 1997) and nodule occupancy at 60 days were not significantly different among formulations. In contrast, soil populations of 128C56G strR from the liquid formulation declined to near zero by 28 DAP at Beaverlodge in 1996, when soil moisture was excessive in spring because of high rainfall. Populations increased in this treatment after this time, but remained significantly lower than the populations of the other two formulations throughout the sampling period. Pea seed yields were not significantly different among treatments in either year at Beaverlodge, but were significantly higher with granular inoculant than the noninoculated control in Saskatoon. Within inoculated treatments at Saskatoon, there were no significant differences in grain yield.

Influence of Inoculant Form and Applied Nitrogen on Growth and Root Nodulation of Maackia amurensis

Abstract We studied growth and nodulation of Maackia amurensis Rupr. &amp; Maxim, treated with three forms of an inoculant of Bradyrhizobium (USDA 4349) and irrigated with solutions containing N at 1.8, 3.6, 7.2, or 14.3 mol·m−3(25, 50, 100, or 200 ppm). One inoculant (arabinose-gluconate liquid) was prepared in our laboratory, whereas the other two (Cell-Tech liquid and Cell-Tech peat powder) were obtained from a commercial source. Nodule dry mass of 10-week-old seedlings was similar regardless of inoculant form. Only plants supplied N at 1.8 and 3.6 mol·m−3 (25 and 50 ppm) nodulated consistently, and nodule dry mass of plants in these two treatments was not different. Laminar area and plant dry mass were highest among plants provided the two highest concentrations of N. Shoot N content was lowest and highest for plants provided N at 3.6 mol·m−3 (50 ppm) and 14.3 mol·m−3 (200 ppm), respectively, and it was not affected by form of inoculant. We conclude that liquid and peat-based inoculants cause a similar degree of nodulation. This study also demonstrated that providing N at concentrations of 7.2 mol·m−3 (100 ppm) or higher inhibits nodulation, and that inoculation with USDA 4349 does not substitute for applied N if maximal early seedling growth is desired.

Slow rehydration improves the recovery of dried bacterial populations.

Slow rehydration of bacteria from dried inoculant formulations provided higher viable counts than did rapid rehydration. Estimates were higher when clay and peat powder formulations of Rhizobium meliloti, Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii, and Pseudomonas putida, with water activities between 0.280 and 0.650, were slowly rehydrated to water activities of approximately 0.992 before continuing the dilution plating sequence. Rhizobium meliloti populations averaged 6.8 x 10(8) cfu/g and 1328 cfu/alfalfa seed greater when slowly rehydrated from bulk powder and preinoculated seeds, respectively. Bulk powder samples were slowly rehydrated to 0.992 water activity by the gradual addition of diluent, followed by a 10-min period for moisture equilibration. Preinoculated seed samples were placed in an environmental chamber at 24 degrees C with relative humidity greater than 80% for 1 h to allow moisture absorption. "Upshock," osmotic cellular stresses that occur during rehydration, was reduced when dried microbial formulations were slowly rehydrated and equilibrated before becoming fully hydrated in the dilution plating sequence. These procedures may also be applicable when estimating total viable bacterial populations from dried soil or other dry formulations.

Peat powder used by Sweden for locomotives

Peat powder used by Sweden for locomotives

Peat Powder as Fuel for Locomotives

Peat Powder as Fuel for Locomotives