About 1 million tons of waste rice husk are generated in Taiwan each year. Rice husk has high concentrations of nutrients, such as silicon and potassium. However, it is not decomposed easily because it contains over 70% of cellulose and lignin and hence it is not suitable to be added into soil. In this study, a large quantity of rice husk is carbonized by vertical type continuous carbonization furnace without the presence of oxygen. After it is carbonized, it becomes rice husk charcoal (RHC) and vinegar (RHV). We have found that the addition of RHC carbonized at 600 and 700°C to soil can increase the soil’s concentrations of calcium, magnesium, potassium and silicon as well as its pH value (i.e., lowering its acidity level). Therefore, RHC is a great soil modifier because it can lower the soil’s acidity and increase the soil’s nutrients. According to our experiments, the pH values of the mixtures in different ratios exhibited an increasing and steady of final condition in the 80-day period. The reason was that the CEC (cation exchange capacity) of the mixtures were increased, the specific surface areas of the mixtures increased and the mixtures’ acidity levels were lowered. Therefore, the incorporation of RHC in the soil would benefit the soil on a long-term basis.
Zinc and aluminum powders were used as foaming agents and organosilane was innovatively used as a modifier to synthesize a foamed geopolymer. The produced foamed geopolymer with enhanced compressive strength and low thermal conductivity is an ideal material for fire protection, sound absorption and thermal insulation. The low thermal conductivity was achieved by increasing the porosity in the foamed geopolymer and the enhanced compressive strength was realized by adding the modifier. The pore numbers in the foamed geopolymer were greatly increased by releasing the hydrogen gas, which was produced from the chemical reaction of zinc and aluminum powders in a base solution. The modifier decreased the foaming reaction rate and generated homogeneously-distributed small pores in the foamed geopolymer with improved compressive strength.
The objective of this research is to study the efficiency of acclimating the Tapumei Series red clay collected from Ming-Tou, Na-Tou in central Taiwan by using the calcium-rich by-product recovered from the CFB (Circulation Fluidized-Bed Boiler) de-sulfur operation. At the end of the testing period, the samples were dried, sieved and analyzed for pH, exchangeable calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, and aluminum. The plant growth was observed for 7 weeks in order to investigate the influence of soil improvement on the growth and production of corn. The results reveal that all samples show an initial sharp increase from 3 to 7.5, 8.1, 8.4 and 8.6 for samples added with 18, 27, 36 and 45 tons/hectare of lime, respectively, and the final pH values after 6 months were 6.5, 7.2, 7.6 and 7.9, respectively. The lime treatment increases the soil exchangeable anion concentrations and reduces the aluminum ion concentration. This is because that the recovered CBF by-product is rich in CaO that neutralizes the soil H+ and raises the soil pH. Additionally, the anions contained in the by-product will also enhance the soil nutrients and lower the solubility of aluminum.
Mikania micrantha has invasive alien species harmful to many plants; it natively grows in South and Central America area. But now it is found throughout Asia and India area. It has a big reproductive capacity, so several researchers ever used thermal treatment, controlled-environmental treatment, mechanical treatment and biological control treatment to inhibit Mikania micrantha growth. However, rare studies use Mikania micrantha to make building materials. In this paper we will attempt to use untreated and treated (treated by carbonization) Mikania micrantha for making building bricks. Results are shown that the optimal uniaxial compressive strength occurred as 30 wt. % of the carbonized Mikania micrantha; the optimal uniaxial compressive strength took place as 40 wt. % of carbonized Mikania micrantha with an addition of organic acid. But the fresh Mikania micrantha has a lower uniaxial compressive strength, so we used interpolation method to calculate the optimized mixing ratio would be 5:95 for the fresh Mikania micrantha. In addition, Mikania micrantha as building material has no biotoxicity for E. coli.
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