Almost everyone knows that peat is a rotten substance of the remains of animals and plants, which contains different minerals, but few people know how peat is formed. Let's try to figure this out.
What is peat?
This element is a mineral that has combustible properties. It is formed as a result of decomposition of animals and marsh plants (mainly) in conditions of oxygen deficiency and high humidity. In this case, certain biochemical processes also take place.
Given what peat is made of, many scientists consider it a precursor to coal. Of course, there are specific differences between the two materials. In particular, peat in its original form has more than 50% organic compounds relative to the dry weight. It differs from brown coal in a higher moisture content, plant residues, hemicelluloses, sugars and cellulose.
You can find this product on the surface of the earth or at a 10-meter depth from the cover of mineral deposits. It is worth noting that many confuse it with the soil, but these are completely different elements. Peat differs from soil in its organic content. Therefore, it is a fairly mineral resource, which can either be on the surface of the soil, or lie at a depth. Yes, it consists of plant debris and can be considered a precursor to coal.
What is peat formed from?
It is known that this product consists of mineral and organic particles, as well as not completely decomposed herbaceous plants. It may contain tree branches, shrub roots, moss, bark. All this serves as a "raw material" for the formation of peat.
The process of its appearance is based on complex biochemical processes - decomposition of plant residues. Microorganisms (fungi, bacteria) take part in their decomposition. Their decomposition activity is very intense, and it is thanks to them that the rapid decomposition of the plant structure and leaching of the phytomass are possible. This is exactly how the peat layer in the soil is formed.
It is known that the most active phase of decomposition of plant residues occurs in spring and summer, although the decomposition rate also largely depends on the composition of the plants themselves and the acid-base environment in which this process occurs.
About 30% of the initial mass of plants becomes pure peat, the rest is converted into mineral substances, they subsequently flow with the flows of inland waters or evaporate into the atmosphere. Now you know how peat is formed.
Peat bogs
Note that a large amount of this material is at the bottom of the swamps. The fact is that swamps can be covered with moss - sphagnum, which is one of the many elements of "raw materials". Peat is formed from sphagnum as a result of dying and settling to the bottom of the latter. Also, the underwater parts of plants die and also fall. As a result, a large number of plant debris accumulates there. Given that there is very little oxygen in the water, the decomposition process takes a long time. For a thousand years, peat can form from the remains of dead plants at the bottom of the swamp.
Note that the ecosystem of the swamp is explained to children in the 3rd grade. How peat is formed is one of the topics in this section. It is not necessary to understand all the subtleties of the biochemical process of the formation of this material. It is enough to know that it is the product of decay of dead plants.
Agricultural application
Peat used to be used in thermal and power plants, but the discovery of large deposits of coal and gas pushed this material into the background. Today it is actively used in agriculture for:
- Creation of effective fertilizers and growth stimulants.
- Making pills for seedlings.
- Creation of fertile soils.
- Create cover material for the winter.
Given what peat is made of, it is not surprising that its main application is to create fertilizers. And although it is possible to use it as fuel in power plants, it has long been abandoned.
Other areas
Also, the material can be used as an adsorbent for water pollution. In medicine, it is used to create therapeutic mud baths and even to obtain medications. Medical ethanol, furfural, oxalic acid and other substances are obtained with its help.
Fuel briquettes are also made from the material, which are used for heating a house. Its use is also possible in the construction industry, in particular in the construction of road embankments. In the construction of buildings for special purposes can use peat insulation boards and peat panels.
This material can also be ennobled by dry distillation in special peat-coking furnaces. By distillation, peat coke and by-products in the form of resins are obtained. They can serve as valuable raw materials for further processing. In particular, wax, phenols, paraffins and even acetic acid can be obtained.
Now you know how peat is formed and used, but this is far from all areas of its application. It can even be used as packaging material. If it is processed to a powdery state, it will become an excellent “packaging” for storing and transporting vegetables.
Finally
Given what peat is made of, it can be concluded that it is a renewable energy source and valuable material for agriculture. Many countries mine and use it at the industrial level. He is studied in detail and invented new ways to use the material.