[Stoves] [Digestion] [biochar] Orange Peels

[frank at compostlab.com]

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. We’ll 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 wasn’t 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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