Peat is used as organic fuel, natural and inexpensive fertilizer for plant nutrition, as a thermal insulation material and for other purposes. Let's consider how the process of deposit formation occurs, how and where peat is mined, and in what areas of human activity it is used. How it is stored and transported, where peat deposits are located in Russia and in the world.
Deposit formation process
Peat is a fossil formed from the remains of vegetation that decomposed in swampy conditions.In swamps, there is a gradual and continuous deposition of partially decomposed organic matter, which slowly turns into peat, which is deposited on the surface.
The development of fossil raw materials is carried out in peat bogs, which are located in river valleys and watersheds. Swamp vegetation depends on the terrain and the concentration of mineral salts that enter the swamps with precipitation and from groundwater. Peat from high bogs is formed from sphagnum mosses, cloudberries, cotton grass, heather, from low bogs - from sedge, mosses, alder and birch trees.
Overview of species
The vegetation of peat bogs forms the type of mineral: upland, lowland and transitional. The composition is determined by chemical compounds (they are highly soluble in water), as well as the presence of humic and fulvic acids, lignin, cellulose, and bitumen. Among the chemical elements, silicon, iron, aluminum, and calcium predominate. The composition of the ash residue includes copper, manganese and other valuable microelements, which are then used by plants for their nutrition.
How and where is peat mined?
Mining of minerals is carried out in various ways. Industrial development of peat deposits begins with draining the swamps. Water is drained through dug channels. The most common mining method is milling. A special technique grinds the layer into fine crumbs. The resulting mass is dried by stirring it. After drying, they are raked into piles, collected and sent for processing. The mass is granulated or pressed into pieces.
The second option for extracting minerals is the excavator method or the lump method. In this method, raw materials are obtained in the form of pieces, rather than crushed mass.How extraction is carried out: the disk of a peat extraction machine is immersed into the formation to a depth of 0.5 m. The disk lifts the cut pieces to the surface. Inside the machine, the mass is compressed and pushed out. The pieces are dried and sent for processing.
Another method, almost never used, is carved. The raw materials are extracted by hand, cutting them with shovels. The bricks are dried and also recycled.
Where is it used?
The main area of peat use is agriculture. The material is used as an organic fertilizer for all types of open ground crops, and it is also used in greenhouses. It is used as a substrate for growing seedlings and is added to soil mixtures.
This material is porous, lightweight, permeable to air and moisture, and contains mineral elements and humic substances. Loosens the substrate, creates good conditions for the formation of roots, allows plants to grow intensively and be healthy. Neutral reaction peat is used as a fertilizer. Sour can be added to crops that prefer an acidic soil reaction.
Worms are bred in peat substrate and used to make compost. It is laid on fields to improve the condition of the soil, loosen and soften the soil.
In addition to agriculture, peat is used in livestock farming as bedding material. For the construction industry, it is used to make thermal insulation boards and blocks. They retain heat well in winter and protect against noise penetration.
Peat is used in the chemical industry to produce cellulose, bitumen, paraffins, humic acids, ammonia, tar, phenols and other materials. It is used in metallurgy and medicine, and is used to make filters for wastewater treatment, waterproofing structures, and the capture of carbon dioxide and toxic compounds from the air. Peat remains an important resource for the energy industry and is used as fuel in power plants.
Storage and transportation
For long-term storage, peat is laid out in open areas. The thickness and size of the peat layers are small, this is done so that the peat does not heat up and does not spontaneously ignite. It is not allowed to store peat whose temperature exceeds 40 °C; the mass contains impurities of semi-coke, lump peat with an admixture of wood, and dry grass. Peat is transported in all-metal gondola cars.
Deposits in Russia and the world
In the Northern Hemisphere, the zone of peat deposits extends in the north from Western Siberia to the Atlantic Ocean. In North America, fossil deposits are located in the northeastern part of the continent. The Northern Hemisphere contains 80% of all peat reserves, with Canada taking first place in production, Russia second.
In the Southern Hemisphere, peat is mined on the islands of Southeast Asia. In terms of the volume of extracted raw materials, the southern deposits are inferior to the northern ones.
