guide on wood vinegar technology

Ozlek

Wood Vinegar (Pyroligneous acid)

Ozlek C. OlidoChief of Staff-Office of the Regional Executive Director

DA-Regional Field Unit IV-B

• Pyroligneous acid is obtained by the dry distillation of wood. This is a development of the traditional process of charcoal burning - by which is meant the burning of wood in an airless condition so that it is reduced to charcoal, rather than to carbon dioxide, water vapour and ash.

What is wood vinegar?

Dark liquid produced by the destructive distillation of wood.

Pyroligneous acid, also called wood vinegar, is a dark liquid produced through the natural act of carbonization, which occurs w hen wood is heated in an airless container during charcoal production.

A dark-reddish-brown liquid that is composed mostly of acetic acid, but also contains methanol (wood alcohol), acetone, wood oils, and tars in varying amounts.

Souce: wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wood vinegar is a by product from charcoal production.

It is a liquid generated from the gas and combustion of fresh wood burning in airless condition

• Source: Agricultural Chemistry Group, Agricultural Production Sciences Research and Development Office, Department of Agriculture, Thailand

Wood vinegar is a by-product of a dry distillation-cooling down-condensation process of organic matters which include wood, coconut shell, bamboo, grass etc.

Source: Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC)

Benefits of using wood vinegar• Accelerates plant growth ( roots, stems, tubers, leaves, flowers and

fruit.)• Act as insect and pest repellents• Promotes healthy and balanced plant growth• Improves sweetness of fruits• Increases shelf life of fruits and vegetables• Control growth of harmful fungi and bacteria• Crop produce is high quality and safe.• Low cost of production attributed to savings from cost of chemicals.• It can kill insects and fungus• It controls microorganisms germination• Serve as soil conditioner enhancing beneficial microorganisms• Used as odor eliminator • Use as foliar spray particularly for fungus• Insecticide when mixed with hot pepper• Enhancer for compost-making due to further decomposition• Soil conditioner to improve the soil when mixed with charcoal• Feed supplement or additives to livestock

External Benefits of wood vinegar

• insect bites• pink eye• poison ivy• infected wounds• cellulitis• diabetic ulcers• ear infections• snake bites• gout• prostatitis• pain relief• can kill antrax bacteria• reduce swelling generally

References:Ransome, Arthur. Shallows and Amazons. San Diego: David R.GOdine

Publisher 1985.Chamberlain, Jonathan. Cancer. N.Y: long Island P. 2008

Internal Benefits of wood vinegar

1. Reduce acid reflux, heartburn, and indigestion2. Removing foul odors3. Stopping bowel diseases4. Slowing colic5. Supporting liver disease6. Blocking diarrhea7. Preventing vomiting8. Reducing peptic ulcers9. Eliminating dental infections10. Lowering cholesterol

• Proximate Analysis of Wood Vinegar By BSWM (Fresh “Buko” Husk)

• N% 0.14• P% Trace• Pot% 0.026• Calcium% 0.53• Magnesium% 0.01• pH 4.5• Sodium % 0.01• Sulphur% trace• Zinc ppm 16.07• Manganese ppm 0.62• Iron ppm 19.16

Content of Wood Vinegar

Content of Wood Vinegar = 200 chemical substances

Organic acids = formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid

Phenol group: carbonyl group, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, etc)

Alcohol ( ethanol , methanol, etc)Neutral materials ( levoglucosan, acetol, maltol, etc)Base ( acidic substances like ammonia,

methylamine, dimethylamine)

Common Materials Used for Wood Vinegar Extraction

• “Buko” shells (with dried shell) or• Fresh Coconut Husk (with dried shell)• Coconut leaf stalk (fresh if possible)• Corn stover• Coffee pulp• Banana plant parts (Banana trunk, banana peelings)• Fresh rice hull• Bamboo• Fresh leaves/grasses• Other available materials

Understanding the process of wood

vinegar production

Burning area

Filling area

The burning chamber with smoke pipe revealed

Smoke pipeBurning chamber

Catch basin

Burning chamber Smoke pipe

Wood vinegar container

Condensation chamber

Burning chamber Smoke pipe Wood vinegar

container

Top view of condensation chamber

Exhaust pipe

Overflow pipe

Filling area

Inner view of the condensation chamber

Pictorial view of the condensation chamber

Pictorial view of the wood vinegar facility

Wood Vinegar Extraction Process

• Fill the cooling or condensation chamber with water.• For easy filling, use a hosepipe with water connection to

fill the circumference and top container of the chamber.

Wood Vinegar Extraction Process

• Systematically fill the burning chamber with available materials in the area (just like loading a charcoal burning area).

Wood Vinegar Extraction Process

• Start to burn the loaded materials preferably those materials which emit heavy smoke.

Wood Vinegar Extraction Process• If charcoal is also a preferred end product to be derived in the

process aside from wood vinegar, burning should be done un-aerobically or without air, hence the burning chamber should be covered properly.

• Be sure to have a clean filling container below the wood vinegar dripper pipe when the liquid start to drip from the catch basin.

Wood Vinegar Extraction Process

• Be sure to maintain a normal cool water temperature in the condensation chamber. Open the overflow outlet and refill cool water when water in the condensation chamber heaten.

Sedimentation Process For wood vinegar quality, sedimentation is necessary. At least 3 to 6 months sedimentation is being done. There are some toxic substances in tar which can be separated through sedimentation.

20 %

20 %

60 %

Water

Wood vinegar

Tar 20 %

How to use wood vinegar1. Enriching the soil: Dilute wood vinegar with water 1:200 (1part

vinegar and 200 parts water) and sprinkle it to the soil before planting. Application is 1 liter solution for every square meter of planting area

2. Applying to compost: Dilute 1part vinegar with 5o parts water and sprinkle to composting materials. Application rate 50 liters of solution to one ton compost

3. Fertilization: Dilute 1 part wood vinegar with 200 parts water and spray it onto the leaves once a month. Dilution can be increased to 300 parts water during the succeeding application

4. Seed Germination- dilute 1part wood vinegar with 200 parts water then soak the seeds for 24 hours

5. Pest Repellent or deodorizer/Odor Remover= dilute 1 part vinegar with 20 parts and spay it to the plant or to the substrate in the case of odor removal.

Source: 1M Agro-fuel development Ventures, Inc.

General Application

• Blend with water in a ratio of 1:50 ( 1 liter wood vinegar and 50 liters water), OR UP TO A RATIO OF 1:800 ( 1LITER WV AND 800 LITER WATER)

• Spray it over plants shoots, Wood vinegar like hormones will be absorbed into twigs, trunks, or leaves. Plants will be stronger and leaves will be greener and resistant to pest and diseases.

Process done abroad• Cure wood that has heartwood and bark for 5-15

days• Pile wood in the kiln and cover every hole with

clay burn it at 120-430oC• After 1 hr, put a tile at the top of the chimney. If

brown or dark brown drops appear on the tile, allow smoke to flow through a bamboo pipe so the hot steam may be condensed into liquid

• Place a vessel to collect the vinegar drops from the bamboo pipe

• If wood is burned for 12-15 hours in a 200 liter oil drum kiln, it should produce 2-7 liters of wood vinegar. At this stage it is called wood vinegar.

• Leave the raw wood vinegar for 3 months to become silted. The vinegar will turn yellow like vegetable oil. After which it will turn light brown and the tar will become silted. The top content will be light, clear oil. Remove the tar and light oil, as well as dark brown translucent oil and the remainder will be sour vinegar.

Figure 2 (a) Put Tile at the Top of the Chimney. (B) the Steam Is Condensed into Liquid. (C) Collect the Vinegar Drops from the Bamboo or Plastic Pipe.

Source:Food & Fertilizer Technology Center

5F.14 Wenchow St., Taipei 10616 Taiwan R.O.C.Tel: (886-2) 2362-6239 Fax: (886-2) 2362-0478

Email: info@fftc.agnet.org Copyright © 1998-2007 FFTC. All rights reserved.

Figure 3 The Wood Vinegar.

DA-TECHGENThe technology came from JAEC

Burning chamber Inner part of the condensation chamber

Topmost part of the condensation chamber

Catch basin

Main parts of the Wood vinegar chamber

Installing the burning chamber

Installing the catch basin

Installing the condensation chamber

Loading the burning chamber with materials

Burning area

Filling the condensation chamber with water

Wood vinegar flowing from the catch basin

Wood vinegar extract