Wood ash
Encyclopedia
Wood ash is the residue powder
left after the combustion
of wood
. Main producers of wood ash are wood industries and power plants.
) results in ash. Many types of ash are found near campsites. The composition of wood ash is influenced by the type of wood that has been burned. Also the conditions of the combustion affect the composition and amount of the residue ash, thus higher temperature will reduce ash yield.
Wood ash contains calcium carbonate
as its major component, representing 25 or even 45 percent Less than 10 percent is potash
, and less than 1 percent phosphate
; there are trace elements of iron, manganese, zinc, copper and some heavy metals. However these numbers vary as combustion temperature is an important variable in determining wood ash composition.
s, but with rising disposal costs ecologically friendly alternatives are becoming more popular.
For a long time wood ash has been used in agricultural soil applications as it recycles nutrients back to the land. Wood ash has some value as a fertilizer
, but does not contain nitrogen
. Because of the presence of calcium carbonate
it acts as a liming agent and will deacidify the soil increasing its pH
. Potassium hydroxide
can be indirectly made from wood ash by the addition of calcium hydroxide
,, and in this form is known as caustic potash. Caustic potash in turn can be used to make a particularly fine grade of soap. Caustic potash is also used to make century egg
s.
Wood ash with a high char content has also proven to be effective as an odor control agent, especially in composting operations.
Powder (substance)
A powder is a dry,thick bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material...
left after the combustion
Combustion
Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can result in the production of light in the form of either glowing or a flame...
of wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
. Main producers of wood ash are wood industries and power plants.
Composition
Typically between 0.43 and 1.82 percent of the mass of burned wood (dry basisDry basis
Dry basis is a expression of the calculation in chemistry, chemical engineering and related subjects, in which the presence of water is ignored for the purposes of the calculation...
) results in ash. Many types of ash are found near campsites. The composition of wood ash is influenced by the type of wood that has been burned. Also the conditions of the combustion affect the composition and amount of the residue ash, thus higher temperature will reduce ash yield.
Wood ash contains calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime,...
as its major component, representing 25 or even 45 percent Less than 10 percent is potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
, and less than 1 percent phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
; there are trace elements of iron, manganese, zinc, copper and some heavy metals. However these numbers vary as combustion temperature is an important variable in determining wood ash composition.
Uses
Wood ash is commonly disposed of in landfillLandfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
s, but with rising disposal costs ecologically friendly alternatives are becoming more popular.
For a long time wood ash has been used in agricultural soil applications as it recycles nutrients back to the land. Wood ash has some value as a fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
, but does not contain nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
. Because of the presence of calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime,...
it acts as a liming agent and will deacidify the soil increasing its pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
. Potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, commonly called caustic potash.Along with sodium hydroxide , this colorless solid is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications. Most applications exploit its reactivity toward acids and its corrosive...
can be indirectly made from wood ash by the addition of calcium hydroxide
Calcium hydroxide
Calcium hydroxide, traditionally called slaked lime, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca2. It is a colourless crystal or white powder and is obtained when calcium oxide is mixed, or "slaked" with water. It has many names including hydrated lime, builders lime, slack lime, cal, or...
,, and in this form is known as caustic potash. Caustic potash in turn can be used to make a particularly fine grade of soap. Caustic potash is also used to make century egg
Century egg
Century egg or pidan , also known as preserved egg, hundred-year egg, thousand-year egg, thousand-year-old egg, and millennium egg, is a Chinese cuisine ingredient made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several...
s.
Wood ash with a high char content has also proven to be effective as an odor control agent, especially in composting operations.