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.
Mikania mirantha is a pernicious world-class weed with extremely high threats to the native flora, and ranks no. 1 on the invasive alien plants list. In this study, Mikania mirantha was carbonized to form the carbide, which is called Mikania mirantha charcoal (MMC). MMC’s pH value more than 9 increases with the carbonizing temperature. Besides, MMC has many microelements consist of calcium, magnesium, potassium and silicon that are helpful to the growth of the plant. Therefore, this research is to investigate the physical and chemical properties of MMC-mixed peat media and the seedling index of the vegetable for using MMC mixed with peat media to substitute the commercial perlite peat (CPP) as culture media of the vegetable seedlings. The results showed that MMC-mixed peat media (MMC-P) whose total porosity was more than 85% were belonged to the type of lighter media. The pH value of MMC-mixed media before seeding belongs to neutrality and close weak alkali. After seeding for the 39th day, the seedling index of MMC-mixed media was 0.086-0.101, which was a little lower than that of CPP, 0.11. It resulted from a higher pH value from MMC. As a whole, MMC would be also used as the biofertilizer to improve the acid soil. This study suggests that MMC can be washed by other natural acidity media to change its pH value, which is possible to promote MMC-mixed media to substitute CPP media.
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.
The physic and dielectric properties of the polyetherimide/bamboo charcoal (PEI/BC) composites were studied by using bamboo charcoal as the conductive filler. The PEI/BC composites are fabricated using PEI, dispersant, solvents, and BC powder (BCP). The effects of the content of BCP on the physical and dielectric properties of PEI/BCP composites are studied in this research. Two different electric conductivity of BCP (BCP1 and BCP2) were used as the filler mixing with the polyetherimide, and the electric conductivity of BCP1 is higher than the BCP2. As the content of BCP1 and BCP2 increases from 10 to 70 wt%, the dielectric constants of PEI/BC1 and PEI/BC2 composites at 1 MHz increases from 5.06 to 19.73 and 4.7 to 18.9, respectively. All loss tangents of PEI/BC1 and PEI/BC2 composites are less than 0.04 at measured frequencies from 1 kHz to 1 MHz.
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