Peat- natural organic material, fossil fuels; formed by the remnant of an accumulation of plants that underwent incomplete decomposition in swamp conditions. Contains 50 - 60% carbon. Heat of combustion (maximum) 24 MJ/kg. It is used comprehensively as fuel, fertilizer, thermal insulation material, etc. Peat reserves in Russia amount to over 186 billion tons.

The problems of intensifying and increasing production efficiency in the extractive industries are being solved, which here have a special form of manifestation associated with the presence of such important factor production, like the land, with its mineral reserves.

This also applies to such a mineral as peat, which, in addition to its traditional use as energy and household fuel, is the basis for organo-mineral fertilizers, etc.

The importance of the peat industry in Russia is due to the view of peat as one of the types of local fuel. In addition to fuel purposes, there is increasing attention to peat as a component of organic fertilizers. Peat can be used in the form of bedding for livestock, greenhouse soils, a good antiseptic for storing fruits and vegetables, for the manufacture of heat and sound insulation boards, as a raw material for the production of physiologically active substances; known high quality peat as a filter material.

For the first time in Russia, the extraction of peat for fuel purposes began in St. Petersburg in 1789, and in 1893 it was already widely developed in the Smolensk province. The period of the most active use of peat as fuel in industrial scale considered pre-war. By 1940, all power plants in the Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Vladimir, Kirov and Kalinin regions operated on peat fuel. In addition, peat fuel has reached 20 - 40% in the fuel balances of the Mosenergo and Lenenergo power systems.

Due to progress in the exploration and development of natural gas and oil, the share of peat in the country's fuel balance is decreasing (Fig.). However, this does not mean a decrease in the absolute size of peat extraction as fuel.

Our country has large reserves of peat, which account for more than 60% of the world's resources. Research shows that in a number of areas peat as a fuel successfully competes not only with brown coal, but also with hard coal.

The development of the peat industry is carried out in two main directions:

1. extraction and use of peat for fuel and energy purposes and agriculture;
2. production of new types of peat products through energy-technological, chemical and biochemical processing of peat.

It should be noted that as peat resources are developed in a number of regions of the European part of Russia, peat deposits in the North-West and Western Siberia - in economic regions characterized primarily by worse natural and climatic conditions for peat extraction - will be involved in production. This should be considered as a factor in the extensive development of the industry, which must nevertheless be accompanied by an intensification of the peat extraction process.

The unsurpassed advantages of peat and peat products are:

1. cleanliness and sterility, completely free of pathogenic microflora, pathogenic microorganisms, man-made pollution and weed seeds;
2. moisture and air capacity (looseness and flowability of the material) with high ion-exchange capacity allows you to adsorb and maintain the optimal moisture-air ratio, gradually releasing elements of mineral nutrition to plants);
3. contains natural humic acids, which have a stimulating effect on the development of plants and beneficial microflora.

Peat deposits: Arkhangelsk, Vladimir, Leningrad, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Tver regions. In total, there are 7 large peat bases in Russia with operational reserves of 45 billion tons.

Massive peat

Peat is a complex polydisperse multicomponent system; his physical properties depend on the properties of individual parts, the relationships between them, the degree of decomposition or dispersion of the solid part, estimated by the specific surface area or the content of fractions less than 250 microns in size. T. is characterized by high moisture content in natural occurrence(88-96%), porosity up to 96-97% and high compressibility coefficient during compression tests. Peat texture. - homogeneous, sometimes layered; the structure is usually fibrous or plastic (highly decomposed peat). Color yellow or brown to black.

Weakly decomposed peat in a dry state has a low density (up to 0.3 g/cm3), a low thermal conductivity coefficient and a high gas absorption capacity; Highly dispersed peat (after mechanical processing) forms dense pieces when dried with great mechanical strength and a calorific value of 2650-3120 kcal/kg (at 40% humidity). Slightly decomposed peat is an excellent filter material, and highly dispersed peat is used as an anti-filtration material. Peat absorbs and retains significant amounts of moisture, ammonia, cations (especially heavy metals). The filtration coefficient of peat varies within several orders of magnitude.

Brief historical sketch

The first information about peat as “combustible earth” for heating food dates back to 46 AD. e. and are found in Pliny the Elder. In the 12th-13th centuries. T. as a fuel material was known in Holland and Scotland. In the city of Groningen, the world's first book about peat was published in Latin by Martin Schock, “Treatise on Peat.” Numerous misconceptions about the origin of T. were refuted by I. Degner, who used a microscope to study it and proved the plant origin of T. In Russia, information about T. and its use first appeared in the century. in the works of M.V. Lomonosov, I.G. Leman, V.F. Zuev, V.M. Severgin and others. In the 19th century. The works of V.V. Dokuchaev, S.G. Navashin, G.I. Tanfilyev, and others are devoted to T. In Russia, studies of the nature of T. were botanical in nature. After the Great October Socialist Revolution, scientific, industrial and educational organizations on the comprehensive study of T. and its use in national economy(Instorf, Moscow Peat Institute, etc.). The work of Soviet scientists has revealed geographical patterns of distribution of peat deposits, created a classification of types of peat and peat deposits, compiled inventories and maps of peat deposits, studied chemical composition and physical properties of T. (I. D. Bogdanovskaya-Gienef, E. A. Galkina, D. A. Gerasimov, V. S. Dokturovsky, E. K. Ivanov, N. Ya. Kats, M. I. Neishtadt, N. I. Pyavchenko, V. E. Rakovsky, V. N. Sukachev, S. N. Tyuremnov, etc.). Problems of using peat in the USSR are dealt with by the All-Union Research Institute of the Peat Industry (Leningrad) with branches in Moscow and the village of Radchenko in the Kalinin Region, the Peat Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR, and the problem laboratories of the Kalinin, Kaunas, and Tomsk Polytechnic and other institutes.

Peat formation

Rice. 1. Layout of peatlands according to the relief

Peat is the predecessor of the genetic series of coals (according to a number of scientists). The place of formation of T. is peat bogs (see Swamp), found both in river valleys (floodplains, terraces) and on watersheds (Fig. 1).

The origin of T. is associated with the accumulation of the remains of dead vegetation, the above-ground organs of which are humified and mineralized in the surface aerated layer of the swamp, called the peat horizon, by soil invertebrate animals, bacteria and fungi. Underground organs located in an anaerobic environment are preserved in it and form the structural (fibrous) part of the plant. The intensity of decomposition of peat-forming plants in the peat layer depends on the type of plant, water content, acidity and temperature of the environment, and the composition of incoming minerals. Despite the annual increase in dead organic matter, the peat horizon does not cease to exist, being a natural “factory” of peat formation. Since many plant species grow in peat deposits, forming characteristic combinations (bog phytocenoses), and the environmental conditions of their growth differ in mineralization, water content, and environmental reaction, the formed plant in different areas of peat bogs has different properties.

The so-called buried rock is known, which was deposited during periods between glaciations or was covered by loose sediments of varying thickness as a result of a change in the basis of erosion. The age of the buried T. is estimated in tens of thousands of years; Unlike modern ones, buried T. is characterized by lower humidity.

Peat classification

Rice. 2. Main types of peat deposit structure.

In accordance with the composition of the original plant material, the conditions for the formation of T. and its physicochemical properties, T. is classified into one of 3 types: riding, transitional And lowland. Each type, based on the content of wood residues in T., is divided into three subtypes: forest, forest-bog And swampy. T. different subtypes differ in the degree of decomposition. T. of the forest subtype has a high degree of decomposition (sometimes up to 80%), while the marsh T. has a minimal degree of decomposition; forest-bog T. occupies an intermediate position. T. subtypes are divided into groups consisting of 4-8 species (Table 1). Species is the primary taxonomic unit of the classification of T. It reflects the original plant group and the primary conditions for the formation of T., and is characterized by a certain combination of dominant remains of individual plant species (as well as characteristic remains). Layer-forming types of T. are called a combination of several primary types of T., differing little from each other in their properties and forming large, horizontally lying homogeneous layers. Deposits of layer-forming types of varying length and thickness (thickness), regularly replacing in a certain sequence, form a peat deposit. The nature of the structure of a deposit of a certain climatic zone is influenced by the geomorphological, geological, hydrogeological, and hydrological conditions of each specific area of ​​the swamp. Depending on the combination of individual types of peat and the depth of the peat deposit, the latter are divided into types. In the industrial classification of peat deposits, there are 4 types: lowland, transitional, raised and mixed. The primary unit of classification is the type of peat deposit (Fig. 2). In the European part of the USSR, 25 main types of peat deposits are distinguished, in Western Siberia - 32.

Peat deposits

Peat deposits are industrial accumulations of peat, clearly limited geographically and not connected with other accumulations. The area occupied by peat deposits and swamps in the world is about 350 million hectares, of which about 100 million hectares are of industrial importance. In the territory Western Europe located 51 million hectares, Asia - over 100 million hectares, North America - over 18 million hectares. Data on T. reserves and its production in the USSR and abroad are given in Table. 2. The explored reserves of T. in the USSR by region are given in Table. 3.

The study of the peat fund across the economic regions of the country is uneven. Thus, in the Central region of the RSFSR, over 70% of the fund has been explored in detail, and in the West Siberian region, detailed exploration accounts for 0.6% of the region’s fund and 82.8% is a forecast estimate.

The search for peat deposits includes the analysis of cartographic and aerial photography materials; the prospecting and exploration stage is complemented by field work. Preliminary exploration is carried out on deposits with an area of ​​over 1000 hectares to determine the feasibility of their use. Detailed exploration is carried out in order to obtain data for drawing up a project for the development and use of a peat deposit.

Development of peat deposits

Rice. 3. Machine for preliminary drainage of deposits.

The development of T. is preceded by drying and surface preparation. The preparation of the deposit surface is carried out after the construction of the drainage network and the completion of preliminary drainage of the deposit (Fig. 3). Regardless of the purposes for which the deposit will be used, woody and sometimes moss vegetation is removed from its surface, the developed layer of the deposit at a depth of 25-40 cm is freed from wood inclusions or they are crushed into fractions less than 8-25 mm. Divided by kart ditches and shaft canals to certain areas ( cards) the field surface is planned in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the shaft channels and profiled with a transverse slope towards the card ditches using an auger profiler. The implementation of these works helps to lower the groundwater level and reduce the humidity of the peat deposit to 86-89%, which ensures the productive operation of the mechanisms for extracting, drying and harvesting peat.

Fig 4. Machine for cutting down forests and packing wood

All operations for preparing the surface of a peat deposit are mechanized (see Peat machines). Removal of woody vegetation during preparation includes cutting (felling) trees and bushes with simultaneous packing and laying of trees in bags on the surface of the deposit with a special machine (Fig. 4). Then the packages are loaded onto tractor-trailers and dump trucks and transported to intermediate railside warehouses.

Rice. 5. Machine for preparing fields using deep milling method.

Stumps and wood inclusions are removed from the deposit by uprooting machines or processed by deep milling machines (Fig. 5), followed by separation and removal of wood residues outside the fields. To obtain peat with average standard properties, machines are used to mix the deposit or drainage and enrichment machines that extract the peat mass from the layer of the deposit with cutters or bars, process and spread the layer of peat on the surface of the field. Small wood residues and chips are removed from the working surface of the cards using machines with a pricking or drum-chain working element.

Rice. 6. Harvesting transfer machine.

In the USSR, T. is mined milling(more than 95% of total industrial production), excavator And careerless-deep ways. The prototype of the excavator method is the elevator, which, before the October Revolution of 1917, produced about 1.3 million tons (1913) of lump steel. The excavation of iron was carried out manually. Elevator machines transported raw T. from the quarry, mixed it and molded it into bricks. Drying, cleaning and loading operations were carried out manually. In the 20s a method of hydraulic peat extraction (“hydropeat”) was developed with complete mechanization of production processes. It was used from before. The complex mechanized excavator method includes removing peat from the deposit with a bucket device, processing raw peat, molding it and laying peat bricks on a drying field, harvesting and storing. Milling mining of T. has been developed in the USSR since the late 40s. It is fully mechanized and is characterized by lower labor intensity, metal consumption and energy consumption. The main technological operations of the milling method of mining metal: grinding the top layer (milling) of the deposit at a depth of up to 25 mm, drying the milled metal, cleaning and stacking the finished material. The drying time of the layer is from 1 to 2 days. The number of such cycles in a season is 20-28; with the pneumatic method of cleaning up to 40-50 cycles. To extract T. using the milling method, 3 schemes are used: harvesting and transshipment (Fig. 6), mechanical bunker and pneumatic bunker. T. extracted by peat machines is stored in field stacks on average for about 6 months. Most effective method storage and control of spontaneous combustion of steel - insulation of stacks from atmospheric air with a layer of damp steel; Polymer film insulation was introduced (1975).

Loading peat into wagons for transporting peat in Radovitsky

Careerless-deep lump T. is extracted using this method for municipal and domestic needs. Its essence lies in the excavation of peat from narrow trenches, processing, molding and lining peat bricks on the mining field - drying while simultaneously crushing the trenches with a mining machine.

In the process of peat processing, due to an increase in the specific surface of the dispersed material, the properties of the product are improved. Dispersing raw T. increases the coefficient of volumetric shrinkage, being a prerequisite for obtaining not only dense, but also durable products. Recycling reduces the moisture capacity of fuel fuel. Mechanical processing of fuel is carried out by working bodies of various types: screw, screw-knife, spiral-cone, conical, slotted, crushing, and grinders.

Complex use of peat

In the 16th-17th centuries. Coke was burned from peat to produce resin, and T. was used in agriculture, medicine, etc. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. began industrial production peat semi-coke and resin. In the 30-50s. T. began to be used in the energy sector, as well as for gas production and as a municipal fuel. In the 50s Research has been conducted on the energy-technological application of peat. The possibility of using peat from one deposit simultaneously for agriculture and industry has led to the creation of a new direction - the integrated use of peat; This is facilitated by the diverse properties of its various types. Thus, in high, slightly decomposed T., the carbohydrate content reaches 40-50%; in highly decomposed T. humic acids account for 50% or more. Selected species T. are rich in bitumen, the content of which reaches 2-10%. Slightly decomposed high-grade T. has a high water and gas absorption capacity and a low thermal conductivity coefficient.

Rice. 7. Preparation of peat composts in the field.

Peat with a high degree of decomposition finds various uses in agriculture (Table 4). It is used for the preparation of composts (Fig. 7), mixtures with mineral fertilizers and lime, for the production of peat-ammonia and peat-mineral-ammonia fertilizers (see Organo-mineral fertilizers). Peat containing vivianite is used as a phosphorus fertilizer, lime - as a lime fertilizer. Lowland soil applied in large doses (500 t/ha or more) promotes the cultivation of soddy-podzolic soils and improves their physical and physicochemical properties.

Today, Russia occupies one of the leading places in the field of mining. The first place, of course, is occupied by oil and natural gas. In Russia there are such main types of mineral extraction as:

• Natural gas production
• Oil production
• Coal mining
• Uranium mining
• Oil shale mining
• Peat mining

As you know, mining is a rather difficult process in which it is necessary to extract gaseous, solid or liquid minerals from underground. It is this kind of production that covers the first economic spectrum. The main tasks of the extraction itself are: to find a deposit of any mineral, after which it is removed from the bowels of the Earth and then delivered to the processing site.

However, I would like to pay significant attention to the peat industry, which today is experiencing a shortage.

Group chemical composition of the organic part of various types of peat

The peat industry is a category of industry that provides the country with fuel as well as fertilizers. Today, peat is used in agriculture, chemical plants, and power plants.

So what is peat? Peat has a characteristic brown color. It is formed over a long time from practically decomposed plant remains, mainly mosses. Peat deposits are swamps and ponds that are almost overgrown. In Russia, areas with peat are located in forests. In fact, peat consists of 60% carbon, which makes it the most important biomaterial because it has a fairly high calorific value. Various thermal insulation products, such as slabs, are also made from peat.

Let us recall that in 2010 there was a terrible fire in Russia associated with the ignition of peat areas, as a result of which forests were damaged. After the incident, it became obvious that the peat industry would take a long time to recover.

Currently, approximately 25 million tons of peat are produced worldwide. In 1985, peat extraction reached its peak, with 380 million tons produced in one year. However, since the 90s, the level of mineral production has dropped significantly to 29 million tons.

The peat industry began to emerge in the 12th-13th centuries. The first countries to produce and use it were Scotland and Holland. And starting from the 16th century. peat extraction began to develop in Germany, France and Sweden. Russia was a little behind European countries, because the mineral was first mined in 1700, when, under the leadership of Peter I, peat deposits were discovered near Voronezh for the first time. Three years later, deposits were discovered near Azov. Much later, towards the end of the 18th century. peat mining began near St. Petersburg and in the Smolensk region. Almost until the 20th century. Oil extraction was carried out in a primitive way, i.e. using the simplest equipment: molding frames, peat crushers and various scooping devices. Mainly molded and carved peat was mined. Peat was transported to the processing site on horseback, as well as waterways, through canals and rivers. During the time of the landowners, various committees and schools were created in the provinces, where they studied methods of extraction and processing of peat. Late XIX V. marked the transition to the extraction of minerals using a factory method, thanks to which minerals were extracted using improved equipment.

Oddly enough, since the beginning of the 20th century. Russia began to outstrip European countries in peat extraction technologies, as well as in quantity. Approximately 40 peat mines were established in the Moscow region. It was in Russia in 1913 that the world's first power plant was built, which processed peat into fuel. Engineers V. Kirpichnikov and R. Klasson developed a scheme for hydraulically extracting peat. In 1914, thanks to this method, Russia managed to build industrial enterprises for processing peat. Already in the 20s, excavators began to be put into operation, which greatly simplified the extraction of all minerals. Peat began to be supplied from the Urals to heavy industry enterprises that used peat gas as process fuel. At the end of the 20s, entire scientific centers and institutes of the peat industry were created. In 1988, peat production exceeded the figures for all previous years. Compared to 1914, it increased 93 times.

Today, enterprises specializing in peat processing are combined into entire complexes. For example, in the Smolensk region there is the Smolenkstorf enterprise; it extracts about 100,000 tons of milled peat, processing it into energy raw materials, about 280,000 tons are extracted for agricultural purposes, etc.

Details about the methods and types of peat extraction

As mentioned earlier, most peat deposits are on the surface. Peat is extracted only according to two main schemes:

• from the surface of the earth (cutting out the top layer of soil)
• from quarries (using excavators)

There are only 5 types of peat:

• milling (cutting)
• hydraulic scraper
• hydropeat
• lump
• bagerny

Milled peat- one of the most common types. It is mined at a depth of only 2 cm thanks to a tractor that loosens the soil, crushes the peat and turns it into fine crumbs. The peat is then dried in the sun, collected into windrows, and then another layer is loosened. After each such process, peat is extracted in the same place another 5 - 6 times. The collected peat is delivered to a special site and collected there into separate piles. The suitable season for extracting such peat is summer period when natural drying of the mineral is possible. The milling method is also used to produce sod peat.

Lump peat obtained by excavation. Each piece of peat weighs at least 500 g. This method extraction is practically no different from the previous method, but the only difference is that it requires weather conditions. Sod peat can be mined at any time of the year. Such peat is extracted from a depth of 50 cm using a special disk with a cylinder in which the peat is pressed.

Hydropeat obtained hydraulically, which was first proposed in 1914, as mentioned earlier.

Carved peat are extracted from peat bricks manually, sometimes by machine-molding.

As for the transportation of peat from the extraction sites, it is carried out after the final drying of the peat and is transported by narrow-gauge railway. For agricultural purposes, peat is transported by road.

Peat in agriculture

Peat is useful to humanity not only as fuel, but also on an agricultural scale. Peat is an excellent fertilizer, and good peat for this area is the one that has decomposed by 40%. It is extracted from swamps and overgrown ponds. Peat, decomposed by only 25%, is excellent as bedding for animals. Before use, peat is usually well ventilated, but not dried to the limit. Sometimes it is specially frozen so that later it can be more easily crushed and distributed over areas that should be fertilized. Because peat contains too little phosphorus and potassium; it is necessary to add manure, superphosphate and a little potassium chloride to it.

Peat promotes soil fertility and improves its structure. Due to the fact that peat contains virtually no micro and macroelements, it is rich in beneficial acids that stimulate growth and development. It is good for any type of soil because it has gas absorption benefits. Actually. Peat can be divided into two types: Light and heavy. Light ones have a decomposition rate of 15%, and heavy ones have a decomposition rate of 40% and higher. In agriculture, peat is good for ensuring long-term moisture retention, as well as oxygen exchange.

Peat industry today

Peat resources cover about 400 million hectares, but only about 300 million hectares have been put into operation. Only 23 countries around the world engage in peat extraction. The leading ones are Russia, where about 150 million hectares are concentrated, and Canada, where peat lands account for 110 million hectares. Peat is a renewable resource and much more of it is produced than is consumed. The world's peat reserves are concentrated in Russia, as 60% of the resources are contained there. But in terms of production, Russia is in fourth place, ahead of Canada, Finland and Ireland.

Only 30% of the world's peat reserves are spent on fuel; the remaining 70% is used for horticulture and agriculture. The top peat layer has suitable properties for animal husbandry, floriculture, crop production and vegetable growing in greenhouse conditions. Peat plays an important role in the world market, especially plant peat, which is most exported.

The largest peat deposit is concentrated in the Tver region - 21%. Thanks to this, the Tver region is fully provided with energy and soil fertility. JSC "Tvertorf" produces the most a large number of peat products throughout Russia. In the 90s, mineral production dropped significantly. Due to the crisis, equipment has ceased to be updated, and the capacity of enterprises specialized in peat has also decreased. Today, they are trying to resume production, but the process requires significant funding and more labor.

The main problem associated with the peat industry is the development of regulatory and legislative framework. There are some contradictions in legal status peat deposits, in which there is a lack of clarity in the application of credits provided by the tax service. There are also noticeable shortcomings in the calculations of payments and taxes on land plot. Therefore, today the peat industry is experiencing serious stagnation.

The Russian government has set a goal to increase the level of peat extraction and processing by 2030 to improve municipal, related and agricultural conditions. The first necessary criterion is to improve the industrial base, i.e. develop new equipment, only then will peat be able to be effectively used at power plants specializing in heat supply. In the future, because of their beneficial properties, peat can be used in medicine. Peat extract is enriched with minerals, so its properties are perfectly suited to the human body, and have a particularly healing effect on the skin and subcutaneous tissues. By 2030, it will be planned to restore the peat base, build boiler houses and thermal power plants in distant regions, the main resource of which will be peat.

PEAT DEPOSIT (a. peat deposit; n. Torflagerstätte; f. gisement de tourbe, tourbière; i. yacimiento de turbo, depysito de turbo, yacencia de turbo) - a section of the earth’s surface containing a peat deposit, in size, quality and conditions of occurrence suitable for development. The peat deposit is watered and covered with peat-forming plants.

The main characteristics of peat deposits: types of vegetation cover (lowland, transitional, upland) and its composition (woody, grassy, ​​moss layers); square; microrelief (hummocky, flat, with ridges and hollows); degree of watering; quantity, configuration and thickness of mineral deposits; stratigraphy of peat deposits; quantitative and qualitative parameters of the deposit, etc. The type (subtype) of modern vegetation in peat deposits, especially mesotrophic or oligotrophic, does not always correspond to the similar type (subtype) of the peat deposit. As vegetation develops and peat layers increase, the conditions of water and mineral nutrition change. In addition, the peat formation process is influenced by climatic and other factors. Depending on the geomorphological conditions of occurrence, peat deposits are divided into floodplain, deposits of terraces, watershed, moraine relief and other occurrence (mountain slopes, ravines, etc.). peat deposits of floodplains (floodplains, valleys, moraine, etc.) have a mostly elongated shape in plan, vegetation and deposits are of lowland type, the thickness of peat deposits is from 0.7 to 4 m; It is also characterized by a large number of mineralized layers.

Peat deposits of terraces are often covered with vegetation of raised and transitional types; the structure of deposits varies from high or mixed types (in the central part) to lowland (in the outlying areas); the average thickness of the deposits is 2-5 m.

Peat deposits of watershed, moraine relief (outwash and) are covered predominantly with upland vegetation, often with ridge-hollow complexes; in the center they contain areas of complex-upper deposits, which are bordered by a Magellanicum deposit; average depth 3-6 m; the degree of peat decomposition varies greatly with depth (from 5 to 50%). Peat deposits of drainage, flowing and closed basins of watersheds often have a lowland or transitional type of vegetation, in the central parts - upland; deposits of predominantly lowland type with an average thickness of 3-5 m with sapropel.

Peat deposits on mountain slopes, ravines and other geomorphological types are less widespread and have small areas.

Peat deposits of different geomorphological occurrence in zones of intensive peat accumulation (northwestern European part, Western Siberia) can, in the process of development, connect and form “systems” of peat deposits (peat massifs), the single contour of which includes previously isolated peat deposits of the same or different geomorphological positions , such as floodplains and terraces, terraces and watersheds, etc.

Peat deposits are divided; by area size - small (up to 100 hectares), medium (from 100 to 1000 hectares) and large (over 1000 hectares); according to the size of reserves - into small (up to 10), medium (from 10 to 100 million tons) and large (over 100 million tons). Deposits with an area of ​​over 100 hectares are industrially developed; deposits of a smaller area are developed for local agricultural purposes. Shallow deposits (the average thickness of the peat deposit is up to 1.3 m) and high-ash deposits (the average ash content of peat is over 35%) are not developed, but are used as land for forest planting and agriculture.

Peat is a natural fuel, a rock of biological origin that has been deposited for centuries at the bottom of swamps or stagnant reservoirs. Outwardly, it is a brown, earthy, loose mass, in the structure of which you can see the remains of plants, small animals and other layers deposited in the silt at the bottom of the swamps.

The process of formation of peat deposits

The conditions for the formation of the material have their own specifics: complete decomposition of the components that make up the complex structure of peat does not occur; only death and partial decomposition take place in conditions of a small amount of oxygen. As a result of such transformations, a material with a high content of carbon, shale gas and other additional elements is formed.

It is classified as a fossil fuel because the main industrial use of peat is as fuel, but it is a specific fertilizer used in agriculture.

Peat extraction is a developed industry; Russia has large reserves of the peat and is second only to Canada in the volume of explored deposits.

Peat deposits by country of the world

Peat reserves in the world are quite large. It occupies approximately 3% of the land area. The further north you go, the richer the territories of different countries are in peat deposits. This is due to the increase in fresh water reserves with increasing distance from the equator, and in the northern regions there are the most favorable conditions for the formation of large deposits of peat.

World mineral reserves today are estimated at 500 billion tons. Russia ranks 2nd in the world in terms of proven reserves, which amount to about 188 billion tons, second in this regard to Canada, whose share is about 200 billion tons. In addition, the peat industry is widely developed in :

• Germany;
• Sweden;
• Finland;
• Latvia;
• Ireland.

Finland is the leader in terms of peat production, where peat is widely used for heating homes or centralized heating and hot water supply. Mining is concentrated in the northern region of Europe, where up to 80% of the world's total production is produced.

How is peat extracted?

The peat industry has two main extraction methods:

• Career.
• Surface.

Career. The rock is cut out in large pieces, divided into briquettes of a certain size (lumpy peat) and sent for further processing. Excavators or similar baggers are used, which make it possible to mechanize the process and achieve high productivity.

The disadvantage of this method is the need for subsequent drying and processing of the material, which forces the transportation of raw material and creates an unproductive load on transport. Production is concentrated in one place.

Surface. The rock is cut from the soil surface in a thin layer of 2–3 cm, which is first loosened and dried. In fact, peat that is already prepared for use is collected.

Types of mined rock

According to mining technology, rock types are distinguished:

• milling;
• hydraulic scraper;
• lump;
• bagerny;
• carved.

Milling. It is mined by loosening a thin surface layer (2–3 cm), kept for some time to dry, for which it is turned over for better removal of moisture using a tedder mounted on a tractor, and packed into windrows.

All work is carried out directly at the mining site, and the rock is transported almost ready for further use. The method is very successful, but completely depends on the weather, since all operations are carried out in the open air.

It is removed using a bucket of scraper winches. The resulting rock is called hydropeat.

Lump. It is removed by excavators, the fraction size is at least 500 g.

Bagerny. The mining method is a type of excavator mining, when special bucket frames are used - baggers. The method is characterized by a high degree of mechanization, but requires a surface free of stumps or other woody obstacles. In open areas without mechanical obstacles, the technique demonstrates high results.

It is mined in small enterprises. The work is carried out manually, with ordinary shovels, or with the use of small mechanization. The share of this extraction method is currently small, since the productivity of the technique is extremely low.

What kind of peat is there?

Peat is a rock formed in wetlands, so it always contains a lot of water. Most of the material reserves are found in regions with a large number of swamps, bodies of standing water or small rivers with weak currents. The exception is reclaimed areas, from where water was diverted quite a long time ago and the soil surface has had time to dry well, making it possible to industrial developments peat

If we consider the origin and subsequent morphism of the rock, this is a transitional stage in the formation of brown coal. The longer the burial process, the less organic remains there are in the rock and the higher the density of the material. According to the level of occurrence they are distinguished:

• High peat.
• Lowland peat.

High peat. Occurs from the decomposition of moss, cotton grass or pine. It has a small amount of calcium and, accordingly, high acidity, as a result of which it is not used as a fertilizer.

Lowland peat. Formed from the decay of alder, sedge or moss. Contains a high percentage of calcium, the acidity of the material is reduced. This species is highly valued and is used in agriculture as fertilizer. It has three degrees of organic decomposition: weak, medium and strong, which is valued above all.

The names of both materials arose in connection with the places of their extraction - higher areas or lowlands, floodplains, swampy wastelands. Woody peat is distinguished, containing a large number of remains of bark, wood and leaves of various tree species, growing along the banks or in swamp areas. It is these regions that are famous for their peat deposits, which can occupy very large areas - 1000 hectares or more.

Where is peat used?

Use of the breed in various directions activities quite widely. It is applied in the following areas:

• Energy. It is used as an inexpensive and quite effective fuel.
• Agriculture. The rock is a good fertilizer that changes and regulates the composition of soils.
• Animal husbandry. Serves as bedding for livestock, allowing for high-quality and inexpensive maintenance of animals.
• In construction, peat is used to make insulating material.
• In medicine, it serves as a material for mud baths.
• Whiskey is made using peat.
• In ecology, peat is used as a good sorbent.

Such widespread use of the rock and the relative cheapness of its extraction make the rock very profitable and successful for many areas production activities mineral resources, give reason to classify peat as an important and necessary resource.

Experts note the high environmental friendliness of using such fuel, since peat ash is much easier to dispose of and does not pollute the atmosphere with harmful emissions. The content of oxides or nitrogen in slags is much lower and can be almost completely removed without consequences for the environment.

The addition of peat to arable soils allows you to renew their content of essential minerals and balance the presence of all components necessary for the growth of crops. The use of peat in agriculture, which dropped to critical levels in the late 90s of the last century, is gradually being restored, displacing chemicals harmful to the condition of the soil.

Prospects for the peat industry

The use of peat for medicinal purposes is effective. Peat therapy, more effective than mud treatment, allows you to treat various diseases - arthritis, rheumatic conditions, cardiovascular disorders and many other ailments. The procedures are much gentler and easier to tolerate for patients.

The prospects and capabilities of the material are underestimated and require more intensive use and development. Fossil reserves, ease of extraction and processing make peat a profitable, effective material for various fields of activity or industry.