Stovers, Working on a new test package that anyone can do I decided to try it on orange peels.
Results: moisture 88.8% Below tested on the dry fraction; Mobile Matter = 67.1 % Resident Char (ash calculated out so not included) = 29.6 % Ash = 3.3 % Below tested on the ash fraction Acid soluble ash = 90.0 % non-acid soluble ash = 10.0 % Meaning; With 67.1% of the dry fraction going up in smoke (or volatiles) that can be used for producer gas or running a gas burner stove. The 29.6 % char fraction DAF perhaps having around 80+ % carbon for soil applications. The small amount of ash (3.3%) is mostly acid soluble (90%) so made of soluble nutrients and carbonates and oxides. If the ash was a lot high than 3.3% with 90% acid soluble this char would likely have a high calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE). The low (10% of the ash) non-acid soluble = stones, dirt, phytoliths etc. Method; Moisture determined at 105 deg C. Dry mater was ground and packed into a pipe with end caps on loose and heated in a temperature controlled oven at 450 deg. C for 4 hours. Loss of weight = Mobile matter Char removed to a crucible and heated in air at 550 deg C to determine total ash content. Loss in weight is char. Acid added (50% HCl) to the ash and warmed / filtered through glass fiber / dried 105 deg C and weighed to get the non-acid soluble fraction. This test package was suggested by Hugh as an inexpensive test package to be used on char samples but I find also good for biomass as well. Frank On Fri, 24 Jun 2011 06:39:48 -0700, Tom Miles wrote > All, > > Many thanks for the all of the generous suggestions regarding orange peels. > Well compile them and put them on the websites while we determine what is > most suitable for the particular application in Southern Africa. > > I have to admit that when I last looked at a pile of orange peels (in Brazil) > I wasnt thinking of how they could be used. It certainly looks like at > sufficient scale the limonene may be worth recovering. At smaller scales > management (rotting) or use (briquetting, drying, charring) of the peel also > seems to have potential. Pigs and chickens would also probably recycle the > peel, or make enough of a mess to be incorporated in compost or soil. Feeding > to birds with char is not high on my list unless there is a health benefit. > Usually the object is to increase weight gain my increasing intake rather > than reduce intake with a low density material like char. > > Regards, > > Tom > -- Frank Shields Soil Control Lab 42 Hangar Way Watsonville, CA 95076 (831) 724-5422tel (831) 724-3188fax www.compostlab.com www.greenrooflab.com
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