Preliminary study of tubular peat extrusion

Abstract

This work describes the preparation and characterization of tubular peat granules for potential use in the field drying process, consisting of a mixed peat structure. Hollow peat tubes having internal diameter 30 mm and overall diameter 60 mm were produced by extrusion and used as a unit for the field drying process. The primary goal of this report is the development of the combination of fiber peat (top layer of deposit) with plastic peat (bottom layer of deposit) without additives and binders for producing a more stable and cohesive granule. The content of the mix was 1:5 by volume. When the moisture content was increased to 80% by mass (weight), moist pellets were formed. A simple test was performed on the peat samples to confirm the mixing efficiency. The advantage of such tubular geometry is that it provides 1.6 times higher surface area/volume for field drying process intensification. Promising results were achieved, in particular, when tubes with a bigger diameter were used. The method is inexpensive and simple to scale; however, further research is needed in view of a final optimization.