Peat processing by means of a vortex layer device for humic fertilizers production

Humic fertilizers obtained by peat processing are an effective and popular means of increasing the soil fertility. They contain a great amount of nitrogen and other chemical elements that contribute to the growth and development of plants. However, directly within peat, they are contained in persistent chemical compounds, and thus remain unavailable to plants and are extracted rather slowly — the process takes years. Peat processing by the Yutkin effect allows releasing these substances, making them water-soluble and available for intake by plants.

Meaning and application of humic fertilizers

Humic fertilizers are natural organic preparations most often obtained by peat processing and activation. They do not adversely affect the environment and do not influence the tastiness and healthiness of the harvest.

At the same time, humic fertilizers saturate the soil with useful substances, increase the soil fertility, and contribute to the active growth development of plants and crop yield. They increase the seed germination rate and have a positive effect on germination ability. They boost the plants immunity and enhance their resistance to external factors.

Humic fertilizers are used for the following purposes:

• remediation of soils in the pre-sowing period and intensification of soil fertility;
• root-top and foliar dressing of vegetable, berry crops to increase the crop yield, the resistance to fungi and bad climatic conditions;
• care for fruit crops, seedlings by applying to the near-stem soil;
• foliar dressing to improve the decorative features and blooming of plants;
• additive for accelerated compost maturation.

These are versatile preparations for agriculture and gardening. The quality of fertilizers largely depends on the production technology and the peat activation degree, because this affects the concentration and availability of nutrients.

Peat processing by the Yutkin effect

The Yutkin effect for the case of peat means processing in water with high-voltage electric discharges. The process resembles a lightning that breaks through the environment. The result is a powerful hydraulic impact with high local pressures of hundreds of thousands of atmospheres. The impacts occur between the electrodes placed into processed medium. In this case, cavitation processes with a number of physical and chemical phenomena are observed:

• ultrasonic and infrasonic, resonant vibrations;
• thermal, neutron, pulsed light, X-ray radiation;
• powerful magnetic fields.

As affected by these processes, even strong chemical bonds in molecules are broken — we obtain free, available substances. In total, more than 30 available trace elements and organic components are released into water. Moreover, the dispersion degree reaches 250 microns — after processing, the proportion of particles smaller than this size ranges from 80 to 90%.

However, even such an efficient method of peat processing can be improved and intensified. It can be achieved by finer and thorough dispersion of particles.

In order to intensify the process of peat processing by the Yutkin effect and to obtain a substance with an even greater concentration of humic acids, organic products, and trace elements, it is preliminarily recommended that GlobeCore vortex layer device (AVS) be utilized. The unit allows grinding the raw stuff in a liquid medium to the size of 15 microns which is several times higher than the grinding fineness in electrohydraulic processing.

At this stage, most substances have already passed into an available, water-soluble form. And after additional processing of the slurry by the Yutkin effect, it is possible to release trace elements from chemical compounds with maximum efficiency and to convert them into a form available for intake by plants almost completely.

Peat preparation by means of a vortex layer device before processing by the Yutkin effect

In order to increase the concentration of humic substances released from peat while the peat is processed by the Yutkin effect, a unit for mechanical activation of raw stuff can be added to the technological line. As a result of peat processing by means thereof, physical, technical, and chemical properties change in the substance; trace elements and organic components become more available.

Dispersing units of various types — ball, spring, blade, and planetary mills — are conventionally used for raw stuff preparation. We offer a more modern solution in the form of a vortex layer device. It is distinguished by higher efficiency, cost-effectiveness, compactness, ease of use and integration into a technological line. The unit is characterized by high grinding fineness and can carry out “wet” grinding. Besides, in the latter case, the processes of raw stuff grinding and activation occur at an even more intensive rate.

Peat processing by means of AVS is mechanical activation of a substance in an electromagnetic field. Ferromagnetic needles are added to the operating chamber and turn into mixers when driven by the electromagnetic field. They chaotically move through the chamber, collide with one another, with processed material, and the unit walls generating a vortex layer. In this case, dispersion and homogenization are observed under the conditions of electromagnetic processing, high local pressures, electrolysis, and acoustic vibrations. A set of these processes contributes to thorough peat grinding and activation — humic substances, trace elements, and organic components are released.

Humic substances are released due to disintegration of cellulose and lignin membranes of cells. The grinding fineness of the product reaches 15 microns.

In order to increase the concentration of humic substances and to induce their release at an even greater degree, the water and ground peat slurry is further processed by the Yutkin effect. And even at the end of processing, humic fertilizers continue to be saturated with ammonia nitrogen.

Peat processing by means of a vortex layer device can be carried out both with the use of chemical agents and just in water. In the latter case, we get a purer product, since there is no chemical extraction that partially affects the structure of substances at the outlet. Furthermore, the fertilizer production technology becomes simpler and cheaper.

Advantages of using a vortex layer device in humic fertilizers production

A vortex layer device will become one of the main links of the line for humic fertilizers production by the Yutkin effect for the following reasons: 

•       High efficiency

The degree of peat grinding and activation by means of AVS is even higher than that in electrohydraulic processing. Therefore, the main amount of humic substances can be obtained even at this stage of peat processing.

•       Ease of use

AVS is distinguished by user-friendly design and compactness; it can be easily and simply integrated into the existing line which requires almost no changing and revamping.

•       Cost-effectiveness

Depending on the model, the power requirement of the vortex layer device ranges from 4.5 to 9.5 kW which is several times less than that of conventional equipment.

•       Convenient operation

The equipment is a little more than one and a half meters high and about a meter wide and long; therefore, it takes up very little space in the workshop. The weight of the unit is 500 kg only. The device requires no pedestal or additional structures for installation.

GlobeCore represents AVS-100 and AVS-150 vortex layer devices. Both models are suitable for peat processing, but different in capacity. Several units can be used at once for parallel arrangement of humic fertilizers production lines. For ordering the equipment or getting advice, please contact the company sales representatives.