METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A HIGH-QUALITY Peat Substitute

摘要

A process and assembly (28) make a high-grade substitute material for garden peat by the physicochemical breakdown of materials containing lignocellulose. It especially uses residual wood from woodworking or forestry operations. The wood particles are exposed to hot water and/or steam at temperatures in the range 90 to 250 degrees C and a pressure of between 2 and 30 bar. The pH of the resulting peat substitute is adjusted to between 3.0 and 6.6 by temperature control. After heat treatment lasting between 5 and 25 minutes, the mass is subject to adiabatic expansion. The wood-based product is converted to fibers in a process requiring little energy, reduced still further by the use of residual materials in a gasification process. The peat-based material is water-soluble and may be used as a biodegradable herbicide, for the cultivation of mushrooms, and for the cultivation of microorganisms.