Journal of the Ek.

Serafimova,
University M. Mladenov,
of Chemical I. Mihailova,
Technology Y. Pelovski
and Metallurgy, 46, 1, 2011, 31-34

STUDY ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WASTE WOOD ASH

Ek. Serafimova, M. Mladenov, I. Mihailova, Y. Pelovski

University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy Received 10 September 2010

8 Kl. Ohridski, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria Accepted 15 January 2011
E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Minimization and utilization of industrial wastes as secondary raw material resources is essential to achieve sus-
tainable technologies. This work presents the results of a study of the properties of ash resulting from combustion and
industrial processes in the complex Svilosa in Svishtov. Using appropriate analysis and physico-chemical techniques,
chemical and phase composition of the generated ashes, the main crystal phases which are formed in the realization of
industrial technologies are identified. The generated wood ashes are alkaline in nature and contain essential nutrients
needed for development of different plant species. The survey makes a recommendation to use industrial wastes gener-
ated by the industrial complex to obtain composite solid mixtures, suitable for use as soil improvers in agriculture.
Keywords: wood ash, soil improvers, loss of ignition (LOI), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, light optical micros-
copy (LOM).

INTRODUCTION of the elements in the soil systems. Nitrogen compounds

from the pulp in the combustion process are degraded
Industrial production of the Svilosa company and released in the atmosphere as a wastes gas mainly
in Svishtov generates different types of wastes. One of in the form of oxides [2].
the largest of them is wood ash separated in the utiliza- In most cases, ash from the combustion of plants
tion of the waste from bark, wood chips, sawdust and wastes does not contain heavy metals and other toxic
cuttings as an energy resource [1]. So far, the annual elements in concentrations that could lead to second-
quantity of wood ash generated is about 10 000 tons ary contamination of soil and agricultural products for
per year [2], but with the expansion of production its recycling as a soil improver. Typically, the reaction of
volume is expected to grow almost twice. As a result of the eluate of wood ash in water or electrolyte solutions
the oxidation processes during combustion the gener- is alkaline and it defines them as secondary raw mate-
ated wood ash retains the overall composition of the rial resources suitable for the production of acidic soil
mineral nutrients contained in the waste wood with the improvers, where necessary, regulating the pH of the
exception of nitrogen compounds, which are mainly soil solution or soil structure with buffer components
released into the gas phase. Wood ash, in accordance and certain food items in soils [4]. The aim of this pa-
with national legislation [3] refers to code 10 01 99 per is to characterize the chemical and phase composi-
subgroup 10 01 (wastes from power stations and other tion of wood ash obtained from the burned wood waste
combustion installations) of Group 10 (wastes from of the pulp production in the industrial complex
thermal processes). Nutrient mineral elements contained Svilosa, using different methods and techniques in
in the form of fixed substances are relatively stable dur- order to prove that such types of ashes could be used as
ing the burning thermal treatment. These elements are a secondary raw material for production of soil improv-
in the same proportions as they were in the structure of ers, contributing to the reduction the quantity of gener-
the wood pulp, which is a prerequisite for a good meth- ated industrial waste and achieving greater sustainability
ods and technologies for use in the chemodynamic cycle and efficiency of the currently used technologies.

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 Journal of the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 46, 1, 2011

EXPERIMENTAL clearly defines the high potential of this type of ash as a

raw material resource for the production of acidic soil
The study used an average monthly sample of improvers. Other indicators like free moisture content,
wood ash from the regular industrial production, as re- electrical conductivity, organic matter content and over-
quired by the standard [5]. It was subjected to chemical all nutritional and toxic elements and their mobility in
analysis to determine the available forms of nutritional aqueous solutions also confirm that the wood ash is a
and toxic elements. The loss on ignition (LOI) of the suitable for soil improvers production.
ash was determined at temperature of 800oC and time The LOI of the wood ash is 19,6 %. That value is
of ignition 1 h as recommended in [6, 7]. higher than the values for the three limits which deter-
The phase composition was analyzed with X-ray mine the three categories at loss of ignition, described in
diffraction (XRD) carried out with an X-ray [7] and are related to use of ash in concrete production.
diffractometer TURM62 with Cu-anode X-ray tube. The established values also determines the wood ash as
Light optical microscopy (LOM) analysis was carried rich in non-burned carbon, which most probably is due
out with the polarizing microscope Laboval-pol-a in of the content of non-burned wood particles and coals.
the 160x and 640x magnification. Observations were Fig. 1 presents the diffractogram of the wood ash
made on immersion preparations in passing light. from the XRD analysis. Interpretation of the data was
carried out by comparing the experimental data with the
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION database of the International Centre for Diffraction Data.
The obtained data confirme the presence of sev-
The results of the chemical analysis and some eral major crystalline phases. The predominant crystal-
indicators in the monthly sample of wood ash from the line phase is calcite - CaCO3, accompanied by smaller
Svilosa company are presented in Table 1. quantities of quartz - SiO2, potassium and calcium car-
The results show that the wood ash is clearly of bonate (fairchidite) - K2Ca(CO3)2. The presence of other
an alkaline nature (pH of aqueous extract = 12.61). This characteristic intensities show that the studied wood ash

Table 1. Results for the properties and composition of the wood ash sample.
Studied indicator Result
Moisture, % 0,40
Organic matter (dry material), % 0,68
/2/, Ph 12,61
Conductivity, Ms 10,95
Total content of macro elements N 0,040
(dry matter), % P2O5 0,722
K2O 2,39
CaO 52,0
MgO 1,32
Con tent of soluble macro elements NNO 3 1,05
(dry matter), mg/100g NNH4 0,07
P2O5 trace
K2O 209
CaO 1277
MgO trace
Contents of other moving soluble ions Cl- 69
(dry matter), mg/100g SO42- 39
Na+ 38
Total content of heavy metals (dry Cd 1,11
matter), mg/kg Pb 99,7
Cr 23,0
Ni 16,1
Cu 129
Zn 133
As 11,3

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 Ek. Serafimova, M. Mladenov, I. Mihailova, Y. Pelovski

Fig. 1. XRD pattern of wood ash sample.

contains other crystalline phases, but due to low con- The observation with crossed polarized light
tent and small particle sizes the observed diffraction (+N) found that the sample has a crystalline charac-
intensities can not be reliably identified. ter, but single grains of isotropic amorphous phase are
The plain microscopic observation were found a also seem. Furthermore, crystalline phases owing to
dominance of the crystalline phase, whit optical char- much larger inclusions of not completely burned wood
acteristics corresponding to calcite. The presence of are identified. The fine dispersion character of the par-
crystalline phase with gray interference colors are char- ticles of wood ash show that this type of industrial waste
acteristic of quartz. There are very fine crystals, which is suitable for production of soil improvers, which will
in many cases are aggregated to form larger entities - likely be characterized by high sorption capacity.
agglomerates. Fine crystals with dimensions up to 1 - 2 The introduction of regulations for utilization
m, and the agglomerates formed from them are in the of wood ash as a soil enhancer for the acidic compo-
range of nanomaterials (0.02 0.04 mm). nent or composites of more complex enhancers for

Fig. 2. Morphology of wood ash in plain polarized transmitted Fig. 3. Picture of wood ash with in cross-polarized
light. transmitted light.

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 Journal of the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 46, 1, 2011

different types of soil will help to achieve positive Acknowledgements

changes in several directions:
Improving the environmental situation in the The authors would like to thank the Science and
industries generating ash from the combustion of wood Research Programme of the University of Chemical
waste and compliance with the principles of sustain- Technology and Metallurgy, Sofia (Contract No 10703/
able development; 01.02.10), and the National Science Fund of the Bulgar-
Increasing of the productivity of different types ian Ministry of Education, Youth and Science (Contract
of soils and achieving greater economic efficiency and DTK 02-5 /2010) for the financial support.
sustainability of the agrosystems [8-10];
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