Peat

Peatlands are formed in limited areas and have significant effects on our planet. As a result of their use peatlands are continually shrinking on a daily basis. This edited book, Peat, is intended to provide an overview of different perspectives of peat material in relevant disciplines. We hope that this book will contribute to the expectations and needs of all relevant disciplines that share their findings for future research.

In a world filled with breathtaking beauty, we have often overlooked the elusive magic of certain landscapes. A cloudy river flows into an Arctic wetland where sandhill cranes and muskoxen dwell. Further south, cypress branches hang low over dismal swamps. Places like these-collectively known as swamplands or peatlands-often go unnoticed for their ecological splendor. They are as globally significant as rainforests, yet, because of their reputation as wastelands, they are being systematically drained and degraded. Swamplands celebrates these wild places, as journalist Edward Struzik highlights the unappreciated struggle to save peatlands by scientists, conservationists, and landowners around the world. An ode to peaty landscapes in all their offbeat glory, the book is also a demand for awareness of the myriad threats they face. It inspires us to see the beauty and importance in these least likely of places­. Our planet's survival might depend on it.

Distribution of tropical peat; Formation of peats; The main characteristics of tropical peats; Classification; Agricultural potential; Reclamation problems; Agricultural management; Energy use of peat; Environmental aspects of reclamation.

Peat: Industrial Chemistry and Technology explores the chemistry and chemical technology of peat as a chemical feedstock. The processes that generate peat chemicals, such as solvent extraction and acid hydrolysis, are discussed. Some of the more important implications of peat use for humans and nature are also pointed out. This book describes alternative technologies for each of the major organic components of peat, including solvent extraction of peat bitumens; decolorization and oxidation of peat waxes; acid hydrolysis of unfractionated peat; and coke production. Other chapters discuss chemical characterization and analysis of peat; composition and hydrolysis of peat carbohydrates; composition of peat hydrolysates intended for yeast production; production of organic chemicals by peat hydrolysis; and scale of peat chemical operations. The final chapter examines the ecological and other environmental factors affecting the chemical technology of peat. This monograph will be a useful source of information for chemists, engineers, and managers interested in the industrial potential of peat as a chemical feedstock.