Value-added biomass ash utilization

利用木质生物质的生物能源系统在加拿大变得越来越普遍，为工业和市政当局提供热量。这样的系统会产生大量的火山灰残留物，这些残留物主要被当作废物处理。我们的目标是将这些残渣转化为具有经济和生态效益的资源。在垃圾填埋场掩埋灰烬的标准做法是不可持续的，因为原始生物质中包含的许多营养物质进入了灰烬，然后灰烬被从生物圈中回收；也就是说，垃圾填埋场充当了几种关键植物养分的水槽。此外，建造更多的垃圾填埋场成本高昂，并将土地从其他生产性用途中移走。在Canfor纸浆有限合伙公司(CPLP)的资金和实物支持下，UNBC的教职员工和学生将探索工业和UNBC校园生物能源设施生产的木质生物质灰的增值选择。一个关键的假设是，将灰烬应用于土壤可以为许多森林和农业生态系统提供环境安全的好处。通过在欧洲和北美其他地区过去工作的基础上，我们的目标是开发适合公元前中北部独特条件的协议和技术。我们还将探索从高碳火山灰中进一步提取能源的潜力。这项为期三年的研究将包括各种类型的木材生物质灰分的特性，以及温室和田间试验中各种土壤和植物对灰分添加的反应。我们将探索进一步增加灰分用于土壤应用的价值的方法，其中包括改善灰分的处理、应用和养分释放性能的预处理。这项工作的一个关键方面是确定向农田和林地运送灰烬材料的最佳管理做法。这种做法必须是经济的，而且必须改善接收环境。这项研究将大学和行业结合在一起，以解决一个共同的问题。我们预计结果将对其他火山灰生产商、监管机构和学术界有利。这项工作将为培养专注于解决一个重要环境问题的学生提供一个极好的机会。

Bioenergy systems that utilize woody biomass are becoming more prevalent in Canada to provide heat for industries and municipalities. Such systems produce large quantities of ash residuals, which are largely treated as waste. We aim to convert these residuals into resources with economic and ecological benefits. The standard practice of burying ash in landfills is not sustainable because many of the nutrients contained within the original biomass find their way into the ash which is then removed from recycling in the biosphere; i.e., the landfill serves as a sink for several key plant nutrients. Also, the construction of additional landfills is costly and removes land from other productive uses. With financial and in-kind support from Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership (CPLP), UNBC faculty, staff and students will explore value-added options for wood biomass ash produced by industry and UNBC's campus bioenergy facilities. A key hypothesis is that the application of ash to soils can provide an environmentally safe benefit to many forest and agricultural ecosystems. By building on past work in Europe and the rest of North America, we aim to develop protocols and technologies that are suited to the distinct conditions of north-central BC. We will also explore the potential of further energy extraction from high-carbon ash. This three-year study will include the characterization of various types of wood biomass ash, and the response of various soils and plants to ash addition in greenhouse and field trials. We will explore ways of adding further value to ash intended for soil application; these include pretreatments to improve the handling, application and nutrient release properties of the ash. A key aspect of the work is to determine best management practices for the delivery of ash materials to agricultural fields and to forest stands. Such practices must be economical and must enhance the receiving environment. This study brings university and industry together to address a common problem. We expect results to be beneficial to other ash generators, regulators and academia. The work will provide an excellent opportunity to train students focused on solving an important environmental issue.