Скачать или смотреть Heat Treating Fine Grade Bark using Stronga Heat Treatment Solutions

Stronga recently coordinated a heat treatment trial on behalf of a client in the UK who is seeking suitable alternative growing media solutions to peat which is being phased out from usage, sale and import. The material tested in the steam heat treatment trial was fine grade bark mulch sourced from a British sawmill. FlowSteama can be utilised to efficiently and economically heat treat a wide range of growing media blends, composts, topsoil’s, soil improvers and more.

The government in the UK has increasingly pressed for reductions in the quantity of peat used for commercial and domestic horticultural purposes. There are targets in place to transition towards peat-free horticulture. These targets include the eradication of peat usage by amateur gardeners and commercial growers by 2030 with the view to protecting the natural environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Horticultural organisations are looking to alternative sources for use in their growing operations. Weed burdened topsoil’s from development and construction sites are currently being sent to landfill or otherwise buried. This is a tremendously irresponsible waste of limited and valuable topsoil which takes 1000s of years to form.

Blending these stripped soils with soil improvers can increase the physical and/or chemical characteristics of the product; however weed burden and pathogens are highly likely to be present in the material. There is therefore a need for the employment of a suitable heat treatment solution in order to produce a quality, sanitised growing medium, free from plant pathogens, pests and weed seeds.

Stronga produce a mobile, low cost per m³, heat treatment solution designed to efficiently clean weed-burdened topsoil’s, composts, bark products and growing media blends. The solution is called FlowSteama Rova. By heat treating the soil blend locally using modular FlowSteama Rova equipment, the handling and CO₂ costs of moving heavy soil are massively reduced. The following section presents a basic overview of the findings from Stronga’s recent bark heat treatment trial.

In the first stage of the steam heat treatment trial, a sample of the fine bark mulch material was oven dried to determine the moisture content immediately prior to the steam heat treatment. The initial weight of a known volume was recorded and then the weight was measured over the drying cycle at regular time intervals until no further loss of weight was recorded. Temperature was monitored during the process to ensure the temperature did not exceed limits where loss of material would occur.

During the heat treatment process, the 200˚C super-heated steam from the SteamBoila heated the fines material incredibly efficiently. The temperature at the cross auger discharge point of the fine bark always exceeded 75˚C while the maximum recorded temperature at this same point was 85˚C. The outer layer of the bark material cooled rapidly as steam was vented, however the material held temperature at a high level for a very long time, as the video shows.

At the end of the steam heat treatment process, the sanitised fine grade bark output was placed into a “clean-side” loader bucket and conveyed to the fine bark sterilised stockpile. The temperature decay in the fine bark mulch stockpile was recorded both on the surface and 400mm deep into the pile, over time.

The fine bark heat treatment trial was extremely successful - far exceeding the client’s original temperature target of 56˚C for time periods inside of the in-vessel steamer exceeding the required 30 minutes. The bark material was measured leaving the FlowSteama consistently at 75-85˚C. The client was particularly happy with the data logging function on the HMI which allows him to evidence to local authorities the sanitisation process. Lab reports were able to confirm that all diseases, pests and pathogens had been eradicated from the bark mulch.

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