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In Victoria (The southish bit of Australia- for the Americans) they have vast deposits of "Brown Coal" or Lignite. They often complain about it because it is full of water and produces lots of greenhouse gasses to burn
(In the driest, inhabited continent, we complain of something being wet-I don't get it!)
But it seems to me this stuff is somewhere between black coal and peat on the evolutionary scale.
Could it be used like charcoal in the garden/farm?
Chemists, soil scientists I need some help here.
This is the only reference to it's use in soil I could find
Quote:
Improving Soil with Coal-Derived Materials
Acidification of soil is a naturally occurring process.
However, factors such as excessive use of nitrogen fertilisers and overharvesting can accelerate its progress.
Acidification leads to increased solubility and availability of phytotoxic metals such as aluminium andmanganese, and the loss of nutrients such as phosphorus and calcium.
This can have devastating economic and environmental implications.
An estimated 90 million hectares of Australian agricultural land are currently classified as being acidic (pHCa < 6.5). Major trouble spots include the Western Australian wheat belt and significant sections of northern and
eastern Australia.
Previous research has shown that organic materials high
in oxygen functional groups (e.g. carboxylates and phenols)
can improve acidic soils. These functional groups, which may
be characterised by titrimetric or spectroscopic methods, can
act as ion exchange sites useful for pH buffering in soil,
nutrient transport to plants and the binding of phytotoxic metals such as aluminium, rendering them harmless to plants.
‘K humate’ (potassium humate) from brown coal is one such
organic material abundant in oxygen functional groups.
This project trialled a commercial humic product sold as a soil
conditioner in order to characterise, quantify and maximize its
effect on acidic soils. Experiments were conducted in which a
calcium additive was incorporated into the K Humate.
The calcium source was ‘Calsulmag’, a commercially treated coal
fly ash which contains inorganic additives such as calcium and
magnesium which are beneficial to soil.
These two products were trialled on two acidic soils – a
sandy soil used for pasture, and a clay loam vineyard soil.
The pasture soil was investigated in controlled soil column
leaching experiments where columns packed with soil were
treated on the surface with various amounts of amendments,
and then leached with water to simulate rainfall. After a
period of leaching, the soil was analysed down to 15 cm in the
profile for chemical parameters pertinent to soil fertility such
as pH and aluminium levels. The vineyard soil was
investigated in a field experiment where plots were treated
with various coal-derived amendments, and the chemistry of
the profile (down to 25 cm) of each plot was monitored at
regular intervals over about a year.
The findings of both studies were that in many cases K
Humate in conjunction with a calcium source such as fly ash,
increased pH, decreased aluminium levels, and increased
calcium and plant-available phosphorus levels down to
substantial depths into the soil profile (at least 6 cm). For one
of the soils, which is prone to waterlogging, the addition of K
Humate improved water retention and the permeability of soil
to liquid.
Results have been successfully presented at national and
international conferences and have led to new projects including: a
follow-up study of the vineyard field trial focussing on effects of
humates and fulvates (ex brown coal) on microbial activity,
aggregate stability and water-retention capacity of soil;
investigations of the use of organic amendments from various
sources (e.g. compost, municipal waste, etc) on the levels of
phosphorus in soil; alleviation of salinity in soils again using
various organic amendments; and the characterisation of an acidic
high organic carbon soil. These projects involving green products
have the support and expertise of local and overseas collaborators
from both private and government sectors.
Jason Issa (PhD Student) - April 2002
Not -too fond of coal fly ash- as I am told that it contains uranium and thorium (at least black coal does).
Though, I suppose,with a bit of radioactive glow, I could then garden in the dark.
__________________ What could possibly go wrong!?
DOCTOR WHO
Last edited by Michaelangelica; 05-19-2007 at 07:28 AM.
Reason: add photo
It would depend on the coal, and the site specific conditions, and, if sodium or any other impairment, the application rate. In principle coal could be used directly, or in a processed form, as a soil amendment.
This sounds like the perfect question for UncleAl. Anyone want to summon him up for an answer?
Bill
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This sounds like the perfect question for UncleAl. Anyone want to summon him up for an answer?
Bill
Good idea, but doesn't he want to make diamonds?
Diamond dust in potting mix?
I suppose there is an up-market for everything.
Funny how you come across something you have never considered before and then you see it (the concept, word,etc) everywhere.
I guess we walk around with a lot of filters on our perception of the world.
Just found this
Quote:
The Japanese are extensively investigating the use of coal dust for promoting field fertility. Coal dust does seem to reproduce many of the positive effects of wood charcoal.
The research of Siegfried Marian on the benefits of carbon incorporation, as reported in Leonard Ridzon and Charles Walters' The Carbon Connection and The Carbon Cycle, led to the development of Ridzon's NutriCarb product (no longer being produced), which claimed agricultural benefits very similar to those claimed for terra preta.
Those who want to use coal dust for soil fertility need to make certain that the dust is from brown coal, which is more humic, and that the coal does not contain toxins.
It comes from a very good clear well written web article on the major ideas of TP
You might want to use it so you can convince the neighours that you are not crackers grinding up, running the car over, burning, burying; good BBQ charcoal. http://www.championtrees.org/topsoil/TerraPreta.htm
__________________ What could possibly go wrong!?
DOCTOR WHO
Last edited by Michaelangelica; 05-22-2007 at 04:16 AM.
Hi,
We are actually using a "Tropical turba" , which is not the usual peat, but the result of very young deposit of a forest (200.000 years). We crush , and compost with chicken manure and/orother N sources and making a good ammenment. We have access to slurries of coal washing facilities of anthracitic coals, which are washed before entering into Coke ovens. We think , we can also do some microbiological degradation, and use for soil ammendents. Good S, and other inerts there. Any experience in Australia wih those slurries???
Hi,
We are actually using a "Tropical turba" , which is not the usual peat, but the result of very young deposit of a forest (200.000 years). We crush , and compost with chicken manure and/orother N sources and making a good ammenment. We have access to slurries of coal washing facilities of anthracitic coals, which are washed before entering into Coke ovens. We think , we can also do some microbiological degradation, and use for soil ammendents. Good S, and other inerts there. Any experience in Australia wih those slurries???
Not a lot. Victorian Brown Coal, I am told, is very "peaty" and holds a lot of water. Most research seems to concentrate on the use of the waste ash
Here is what I could find
Quote:
These organic amendments, applied at 20-60 t product/ha, were organic humate , derived from brown coal, composted supermarket waste and vermicast.
Previous research has shown that organic materials high
in oxygen functional groups (e.g. carboxylates and phenols)
can improve acidic soils. These functional groups, which may
be characterised by titrimetric or spectroscopic methods, can
act as ion exchange sites useful for pH buffering in soil,
nutrient transport to plants and the binding of phytotoxic
metals such as aluminium, rendering them harmless to plants.
‘K humate’ (potassium humate) from brown coal is one such
organic material abundant in oxygen functional groups.
ABSTRACT: The potential for using commercially available potassium humate (K-humate) derived from Victorian Brown Coal to improve soil structure and aggregate stability was assessed in this study.
. . .
This work demonstrates that potassium humate is potentially effective as a soil conditioner in improving aggregate stability of acidic and sodic soils against adverse effects of cyclic seasonal wetting and drying conditions.
Evolving new technologies for deriving humic substances from lignite may provide products that can, either alone or possibly in combination with poultry wastes, improve and sustain productivity of organically impoverished soils. Environmental factors also add to the attractiveness of the humic products, which have been shown to increase efficiency of soil-release and plant-uptake of N and P and thus may lead to lowered risk of groundwater pollution from inorganic fertilizers, which release nutrients faster than plants can utilize them. Lignite-derived humic substances have also had success in reducing problems created by soil alkalinity, a major problem in Arkansas, a leading rice producer.
Michaelangelica, thanks for the information. We are doing also some work with Poultry wastes and turba, showing very good composting results. We are looking for "green" uses to the very fine coal powder out of the coal washing facilities, maybe following our same aproach given to the turba. ..... Any experiences with coal fines???
Michaelangelica, thanks for the information. We are doing also some work with Poultry wastes and turba, showing very good composting results. We are looking for "green" uses to the very fine coal powder out of the coal washing facilities, maybe following our same aproach given to the turba. ..... Any experiences with coal fines???
We might need to find an alternative use for coal in the future.
Last week Greenpeace shut down a coal power station by climbing on to the roof and writing "Coal kills" (?) or similar on the roof.
Dr. Karl is a local, media science Guru and professor at Uni of NSW
Quote:
"Dr. Karl's" reaction to coal power stations
In his book "Sensational Moments in Science", ABC Press, 2001.
He has an interesting take on coal power:-
"In 1982, some 111 (US)nuclear-fired power plants consumed about 540 tonnes of nuclear fuel.
In the same year, coal-fired power plants released over 800 tonnes of uranium." into the atmosphere.
"If a single nuclear-fired plant released 8K of uranium into the bio-sphere. there would be . .an enormous outcry."
He says the nuclear content of coal has not yet reached general public awareness in the same way that the greenhouse effect AIDs, or the ozone hole have.
There are no nuclear regulations about the disposal of coal ash
Coal apparently contains a heap of uranium and thorium
He concludes that you will get three times more radiation from a coal fired power plant than a nuclear fueled power plant! That's if you include the complete nuclear fuel cycle mining, processing operating, disposal(!?)
If you don't include these your average coal-fired power plant puts out 100 times more radiation than a nuclear-fired plant.
p103-104
Seems you are on the right track with coal finesBut there is not a lot of info I can find with simple searches. I can search a bit more if you like.
Quote:
Alroc Mineral Fertiliser
Kensington, Vic, Australia
Alroc is a blend of crushed volcanic Basalt, Granite, Dolomite, Bentonite, Rock Phosphate, Rock Potash and Bio Coal Fines, chosen for their mineral content.
The Bio Coal Fines have been composted for 10 years and are added as a dry, micro-fine dust to provide carbon for our soils in the.
Seedling production using cell trays
# Brown coal: This material is known also as Lignum Peat or coal fines.
The ratio of brown coal in a soil-less mix to other components needs to be low. about 20 percent by volume or even less.
Higher volumes with adequate nutrition cause plants to respond with lush growth and will be difficult to harden.
Brown coal has a high water-holding capacity, with a high level of unavailable water.
Its water loss is in fact high too, and it has been shown that plants transpire less water growing in brown coal, than is the case with peat moss.
Hello Michaelangelica, Tks again... The issue of Uranium and Thorium, highly depending of the coal source... Same issue with other mineral sources...I won't discuss it today.... Keeping focused on coal as a source of C for feeding life cicle... . Very interesting the BioCoal fines.... Can you please give more information about their operation/process and results?? It is exaclty the direction we are heading.. At the end, several pieces go together.... Can I contact you directly??
Coal as a soil amendment?! 
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grinding up, running the car over, burning, burying; good BBQ charcoal. 
