Fireplace "wood" of grass clippings

Tons of waste from cutting city lawns do not represent anything of value, they are taken to the dump. An abundance of unused biological materials of interest to specialists of the us agricultural research Service (Agricultural Research Service), working in the framework of the national program "Quality and utilization of agricultural products" (Quality and Utilization of Agricultural Products).

"This raw material in abundance everywhere, it is available for free at many landfills, which should be released for other waste," said the service employee chemist Syed H. Imam (Syed H. Imam). Research conducted by the Imam along with other employees Western regional research center in Albany, showed that waste from mowing lawns can be mixed with other substances of vegetable origin for producing environmentally friendly fireplace fuel.





Fireplace logs made of grass burn brightly and evenly. This same technology can be used for the creation of briquettes and pellets for heating furnaces.

Unlike many other types of fireplace fuel, wood waste from lawn mowing, developed at the research center do not contain additives of petroleum origin. This means they are cleaner when burning, produce less of the compounds that pollute the atmosphere and do not produce unnecessary carbon.

Waste lawn grass ranges from 20 to 60% of the members Pres-to-logs. Else — available binders of vegetable origin such as rice or soy wax. They allow you to save fuel convenient to use the form and increase the power value, the sustain burning for a long time.

A small amount of mineral oxidiser in the fuel composition up to 2%, provides a good ignition, a beautiful color of fire and high flames, which is important for the aesthetics of the fireplace. As the oxidant, the command of the Imam used the potassium chlorate.

It tells the Imam said: "grass or other plant materials should be dried to moisture content 15% or less. The wax must be sufficiently softened to be evenly distributed throughout the mass".





This does not require high temperatures, enough to 40-45 degrees Celsius. The lack in the production process of high temperatures is an important distinction of the new technology from most of the previously used methods of manufacture of fireplace wood. The mixing mass and the formation of pellets or logs is done mechanically.

The focus of the research was the waste of grass from mowing lawns. However, firewood in new technology can be manufactured from other plant waste such as corn cobs or rice straw.

Currently, Sayyid Imam, together with partners, is trying to patent developed technology.

 

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