JOHNSTON COUNTY HOME HORTICULTURE
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Amazing Plant Facts
North Carolina State University
College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
Johnston County Center
2736 NC 210 Highway*Smithfield, NC 27577*919.989.5380
jcmastergardener@yahoo.com
Cathryn Kloetzli
Extension Agent
Agriculture-Consumer Horticulture
Prepare to be dazzled!
The world is a fascinating place
Dazzle
Just some little nuggets of information to chew over around the coffee machine or stun your friends with at your next dinner party. :)
Christmas TreeNorth Carolina is the second largest producer of Christmas trees in the United States! -- second only to Oregon. North Carolina produces more than 6 million Christmas trees each year, valued at $98 million - and is about 15 percent of the nation's natural Christmas trees.
Holly plants Holly are dioecious, which means 'two houses'. Essentially this means there are boy hollies and girl hollies. The girl holly will not bear the beautiful red berries unless there is a boy holly within a reasonable distance that can provide pollen. Other plants are monoecious, 'one house', ie. corn, in which both the female and male reproductive parts are on the same plant.
Bristlecone pines, a species of the California conifer, are among the oldest organisms alive. A bristlecone, named MethuselahMethuselah, is about 4,768 years old. It was a young tree when humans invented writing. Methuselah also recently became a proud mama. A dozen healthy saplings sprouted from seeds taken from the pine cones of Methuselah. One will be presented to the U.S. Botanic Garden on the grounds of the Capitol, although it is unlikely to be planted there. The only other known offspring of Methuselah, cultivated in the 1970s, all died because they were sent to low-altitude locations. The tree's secret location in the White Mountains is 2 miles above sea level. - NY Times.
The North Carolina State Fair State Fair, now celebrating its 150th year, was founded in October 1853 by the State Agricultural Society. The fair was planned to offer premiums to farmers who developed better practices for crop improvement, or designed and built more effective implements. Immediately plans were underway toward the first State Fair to spread constructive agricultural information.
Rat Snake - This common, familiar snake occurs throughout North Carolina. Adults living in the Mountain and Piedmont region are black while those in the Coastal Plain area are greenish with 4 dark stripes running the length of their body. They are non-poisonous and kill their prey by constriction. They can range in size from 3 1/2 - 7 feet long. They climb well and often ascend trees in search of birds, eggs and small mammals.
Black Rat SnakeBlack Rat Snake 2Yellow Rat Snake
Bamboo, Bamboo the world's tallest grass, has been recorded as growing as high as 130 feet. It has also been known to grow up to 4 feet in a 24 hr. period (and you were worried about kudzu!)
The Ginkgo biloba tree is commonly planted along streets. It was once thought to be extinct, but was discovered in China in the mid-1700s. It has lived on Earth for over 150 million years, dating its origins back to the Jurassic Era and the dinosaurs. Ginkgo biloba is often referred to as a 'living fossil' because it has remained virtually unchanged during all its time on Earth. It is one of the oldest trees still living on our planet. For you botanists out there it is actually classified as a deciduous gymnosperm.
Ginkgo Tree Ginkgo Leaf Ginkgo biloba tree and leaf
The tea you drink comes from the leaves of a camelliaCamellia sinensis. Camellia sinensis is used in commercial tea production. The varying chemical content and flavors of teas are due to different growing conditions and the fermentation processes of the leaves.
Roughly 25% of all prescription medicines Prescription Bottle in the US are derived from plants.
Archaeologists have recovered remains of sunflower seeds Sunflower dating back to the year 800 AD.
KudzuKudzu vines grow up to 1 ft./day. It is estimated to cover 7 million acres in the southeast and takes over 120,000 new acres every year. Roots are tuberous and get up to 7 in. in diameter. Kind of scary, isn't it?
The largest seed in the plant kingdom weighs 60 lbs. It's the seed from the Coco de mer, or double coconut palmCoco de mer.
Ladybugs Ladybugs can eat 40 aphids in an hour! They can also eat bean thrips, beetle grubs, scales, spider mites, whiteflies and most soft body larvae. Basically, they are good guys that eat the bad guys. Invite them into your yards with welcome arms!
Who would have thought that lawns and golf courses Golf Course are good for the environment? USDA's Agricultural Research Service found that turfgrass captures and stores excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, acting as a greenhouse gas scrubber. The study examined soil records from Denver-area golf courses and learned that trapping carbon in the soil lasts up to 31 years in fairways and 45 years in greens. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2003/030603.htm
Saffron is the most precious and expensive spice in the world. It comes from the dried stigmas of the saffron flower, Crocus sativus Linneaus. Each flower contains only three stigmas. These filaments must be picked from each flower by hand, and more than 75,000 of these flowers are needed to produce just 1 pound of Saffron.
Picture of crocus flowers Crocus sativus
Garden HoseA standard garden hose puts out 20 G./minute. A hose left on by mistake can waste as much as 28,000 gallons in just 24 hours.
7 lbs., 12 oz. is the weight of the world's largest tomato Tomato (that's 1 lb. heavier than I was when I was born - yikes!) grown by Gordon Graham of Edmond, Oklahoma - as listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Plastic from Corn Sugar? Plant starches are being broken down in natural sugars that form plastics through a process of fermentation and distillation. NatureWorks is now producing fiber products made from plant sugars instead of petroleum. Their fiber is being used to make comforters, pillows and mattress pads. Pillow
WelwitschiaWhat looks a little like an octopus and can live for 1,000 years? It's the odd Welwitschia (well-WITCH-ee-a) plant, which grows in desert areas of Namibia and Angola, two countries in Africa. The Welwitschia has only two leaves that shred into many long, leathery pieces as they grow. Welwitschias provide shelter for small desert animals and are an important part of the web of life in the desert. - from National Geographic
OrchidsA mystery solved... DNA studies have finally solved a long-standing horticultural puzzle -- where do orchids come from? It turns out that orchids are a member of the asparagus family, which, beyond the title vegetable, includes vanilla, agave and daffodils. Until now, scientists believed orchids were relatively new plants, evolutionarily speaking. The DNA tells a different story. It looks like it is actually the oldest member of the Asparagales family. Source: NY Times. P.S. It takes 1.25 million orchid seeds to weigh 1 gram. Orchids have the smallest known seeds.
North Carolina is the leading producer of sweet potatoes Sweet Potatoes in the United States, producing 38% of the nation's supply on 40,000 acres. Johnston, Nash, Sampson and Wilson County are the top producers in North Carolina, each producing over 500,000 hundredweight of sweet potatoes.
Glow worms, lightningbugs Lightningbug and foxfire are examples of biological light production, called bioluminescence (for short, believe it or not!) The light comes from a chemical called luciferin being oxidized. The insects control the light by controlling the air supply. As soon as they let the air in, the chemical flashes. Most of us have seen the lightningbugs twinkling around in our summer lawns, but you may not have seen the glow worms, which are the larva stage of the lightningbug beetles, or foxfire, which is a glow in the dark fungus which grows on dead wood, preferably oak. Keep your eyes peeled for these amazing things!
They are one of the world's most efficient pumps, with large specimens drawing hundreds of gallons of water a day from roots to leaves! They keep us cool in asphalt jungles, diminish noise levels, clean the air, and help stem global warming. Through their food-making process, trees make our lives, well, livable! Many species of wildlife from beetles to blue jays are utterly dependent on trees for shelter, nesting, food, and food storage. With a resume like that, it's a wonder we so often take trees for granted.
In the story of the three wise men, they came to Jerusalem bearing gold, frankincense and myrrh. Frankincense and Myrrh We all know about gold, but what of the other two? Frankincense and myrrh are both resins, the dried sap from trees. Frankincense comes from the Boswellia genus of trees while myrrh come from the Commiphora genus. Myrrh was once used to soothe sore throats and was an embalming agent. Frankincense was a vital part of Hebrew worship and was used as incense in the temple.
Apple seeds Apple Seeds contain a small quantity of cyanide which renders the seeds quite bitter tasting.
11,700 years old - The approximate age of the oldest known plant, the Creosote Bush Creosotebush, growing in the Mojave Desert. (That's A LOT of candles when birthday time rolls around!)
In a wildlife phenomenon still not fully understood by scientists, hundreds of millions of North American monarchs migrate each year - up to 3,000 miles - to Mexico. In their winter colonies, they mass together in clusters on fir trees. The butterfly sanctuaries and the spectacle, which is considered an endangered migratory phenomenon, have become a popular ecotourism destination.
The expression "You Are What You Eat" is certainly true for Monarch caterpillars. They eat only milkweed, which contains chemicals that make the Monarchs taste bad to predators.
Ladybugs (technically ladybird beetles) are good guys because they eat insects that feast on our plants, especially aphids. A female ladybug can chow down about 70 aphids in a day -- 5,000 in her lifetime. Ladybug larvae have the biggest appetites, which is why it's important to recognize these babies so we don't mistakenly squish them. They look like tiny black humpback alligators.
Ever eaten tree bark? I bet you have! Cinnamon is from the bark of the Cinnamomum zeylandicum tree. The bark is peeled from the sprouts of these trees, then set out to dry and rolled up into quills. The remaining peeled sticks and twigs are the preferred mulch for the gardens of the folks in Seychelles. What a wonderful smelling mulch that must be! And for those who aren't up on their world geography (which definitely includes me! I had to look this stuff up) this is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, in Eastern Africa, northeast of Madagascar (another island off of Africa). So, they are really out in the middle of a lot of water!
cinnamon quills Cinnamon is tree bark rolled into quills.
The word 'tulip' comes from the turkish word for 'turban'.
tulip break tulip break2The beautiful color-swirling appearance of these tulips is referred to as a 'break'. It's caused by a virus. Wish the viruses I got made me do neat, colorful stuff like that. But alas, guess I'll have to leave the fun up to the tulips.
Jack-in-the-pulpits jack in the pulpit, a bulb, actually change their sex, an ability botanists call paradioecious. All the flowers are pollen-producing males, until the tuber is mature and then the flowering stalk produces female flowers and bears seeds. If growing conditions deteriorate, the plant reverts to producing only male flowers.
In a few species even the leaves are reproductive. Kalanchoe Kalanchoe, nicknamed the 'maternity plant', or 'mother of thousands', is one example. Kalanchoe can be vegetatively propagated simply by placing a leaf in to a soil medium.
Germinating SeedsNew research has turned a long-held belief on its side. Seeds were always thought to have needed to come in contact with liquid water in order to germinate. It has now been discovered that the presence of water vapor, not necessarily liquid water, is required for germination.
The ancient Greeks believed mushrooms Mushrooms came from Zeus's lightning because they appeared after rains and reproduced and grew inexplicably. Although we understand more about mushrooms and where they come from now, much remains to be learned. While some species are edible, others contain dangerous toxins.
Chestnut TreeChestnut Comeback
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival of chestnut blight, which killed the most dominant tree in regional forests, the gigantic American chestnut. Breeding blight resistance into chestnuts has proven difficult, but steady progress is now being made. It is possible that ten years from now, one of the trees you can plant with confidence will be a chestnut. Already, the American Chestnut Cooperator's Foundation offers seed nuts to interested supporters. And the American Chestnut Foundation sells both seeds and seedlings to members. These are all experimental breeding lines that may show some resistance to chestnut blight.
Black WidowThough Black Widow bites occur infrequently, it's the female who does the biting by using her large fangs. One reason the male Widow seldom bites is its size: It is smaller than the female and doesn't possess large enough fangs to penetrate the skin.
Kiwifruit Kiwi Fruit contains 600-1000 tiny edible seeds inside each fruit. It contains 2 x the amount of vitamin C that oranges have and can be stored up to 8 months.
Nyctitropism - The tendency of leaves or petals of certain plants to assume a different position at night.Night Sky
How cold is it outside? Ask your rhododendronRhododendron. Rhododendron leaves begin to cup and curl when temps drop below 35 degrees. At 25 degrees, the curled leaves are so tight that half the leaf surface has disappeared and the leaves begin to droop. When temps drop into the teens, leaves shrivel even tighter, become brownish-green and dangle in the cold air. They curl their leaves to reduce moisture loss through their leaves.
Every plant in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA is edible. Edible Flower
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Minggu, 21 Februari 2010
1000 Facts About Space
1000 Facts About Space
by Pam Beasant
* Paperback, 47 pages
* Published by Kingfisher Books
* Publication date: September 1992
* Dimensions (in inches): 0.18 x 11.00 x 9.12
* ISBN: 1856978117
Order This Book
Description
Why do astronauts become taller in space? Why are black holes invisible? Every page of this stimulating book is crammed with fascinating facts that are vividly presented and accompanied by dozens of colorful illustrations. With additional fact lists and an index, children are sure to find this book both appealing and accessible. Full color.
KidSource OnLine Visitor Comments
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by Pam Beasant
* Paperback, 47 pages
* Published by Kingfisher Books
* Publication date: September 1992
* Dimensions (in inches): 0.18 x 11.00 x 9.12
* ISBN: 1856978117
Order This Book
Description
Why do astronauts become taller in space? Why are black holes invisible? Every page of this stimulating book is crammed with fascinating facts that are vividly presented and accompanied by dozens of colorful illustrations. With additional fact lists and an index, children are sure to find this book both appealing and accessible. Full color.
KidSource OnLine Visitor Comments
Add your comments about this book here. Read what other KidSource OnLine visitors think about this book.
Minggu, 14 Februari 2010
Sinar Tani Online
INDUSTRI PERTANIAN
Ada mimpi besar untuk menjadikan Indonesia negara industri terkemuka di dunia pada tahun 2020. Potensi sumberdaya alam yang sangat kaya dan jumlah komsumen domestik yang besar menjadi salah satu modal mewujudkan mimpi itu.
Namun banyak pihak menilai, selain potensi besar justru lebih banyak kendala yang akan menjadi penghambat upaya mewujudkan mimpi itu. Kendala paling menonjol adalah ketertinggalan penguasaan pengetahuan dan teknologi. Hal ini diperparah dengan keterbatasan sumber daya manusia berpendidikan tinggi dan trampil.
Bila dicermati arah perkembangan industrialisasi kita memang menunjukkan kecenderungan jalan di tempat. Artinya, perjalanan panjang membangun industri yang kokoh dan tangguh sejak jaman orde baru hingga sekarang tidak pernah menunjukkan hasil yang memuaskan. Tidak ada rancang bangun yang jelas arah pengembangan industri nasional. Ada kecenderungan bangunan industri nasional tidak lebih dari sekedar ‘industri tukang’ yang hanya menjadi kepanjangan tangan dari industri di luar negeri. Kita justru membangun industri yang menjerumuskan kita pada jurang ketergantungan pada negara asing.
Fakta ini juga terjadi pada pengembangan industri pertanian. Lihat saja, hampir semua industri pertanian dibangun tidak lebih dari industri yang melayani industri asing. Di bidang peternakan misalnya, industri pakan, obat-obatan dan semua kebutuhan peternakan masing bergantung pada bahan baku impor.
Contoh paling jelas pada industri pakan ternak. Bagaimana mungkin mampu menjadi industri peternakan besar kalau jagung, bungkil kedelai, tepung ikan dan bahan baku produksi pakan lainnya masih impor. Bagaimana mungkin akan menjadi pemain sektor peternakan kelas dunia kalau bahan baku pakan saja masih impor?
Sebenarnya penguasaan pengetahuan dan teknologi kita di bidang pertanian cukup besar. Ratusan lembaga penelitian, perguruan tinggi, dan berbagai lembaga pendukung riset di bidang pertanian sebenarnya bisa menjadi lumbung berbagai teknologi pertanian.
Hasil penelitian mereka sangat bisa diandalkan karena biasanya sangat sesuai dengan kondisi iklim dan potensi sumberdaya lokal. Sudah banyak bukti keberhasilan pengembangan industri pertanian yang memanfaatkan hasil penelitian para peneliti lokal. Namun harus diakui, peran lembaga-lembaga penelitian itu belum optimal karena masih banyak potensi pertanian yang belum tergarap.
(Untuk informasi lebih lengkapnya silahkan berlangganan Tabloid SINAR TANI. SMS ke : 081584414991)
© 2008 Sinar Tani Online. All rights reserved
Ada mimpi besar untuk menjadikan Indonesia negara industri terkemuka di dunia pada tahun 2020. Potensi sumberdaya alam yang sangat kaya dan jumlah komsumen domestik yang besar menjadi salah satu modal mewujudkan mimpi itu.
Namun banyak pihak menilai, selain potensi besar justru lebih banyak kendala yang akan menjadi penghambat upaya mewujudkan mimpi itu. Kendala paling menonjol adalah ketertinggalan penguasaan pengetahuan dan teknologi. Hal ini diperparah dengan keterbatasan sumber daya manusia berpendidikan tinggi dan trampil.
Bila dicermati arah perkembangan industrialisasi kita memang menunjukkan kecenderungan jalan di tempat. Artinya, perjalanan panjang membangun industri yang kokoh dan tangguh sejak jaman orde baru hingga sekarang tidak pernah menunjukkan hasil yang memuaskan. Tidak ada rancang bangun yang jelas arah pengembangan industri nasional. Ada kecenderungan bangunan industri nasional tidak lebih dari sekedar ‘industri tukang’ yang hanya menjadi kepanjangan tangan dari industri di luar negeri. Kita justru membangun industri yang menjerumuskan kita pada jurang ketergantungan pada negara asing.
Fakta ini juga terjadi pada pengembangan industri pertanian. Lihat saja, hampir semua industri pertanian dibangun tidak lebih dari industri yang melayani industri asing. Di bidang peternakan misalnya, industri pakan, obat-obatan dan semua kebutuhan peternakan masing bergantung pada bahan baku impor.
Contoh paling jelas pada industri pakan ternak. Bagaimana mungkin mampu menjadi industri peternakan besar kalau jagung, bungkil kedelai, tepung ikan dan bahan baku produksi pakan lainnya masih impor. Bagaimana mungkin akan menjadi pemain sektor peternakan kelas dunia kalau bahan baku pakan saja masih impor?
Sebenarnya penguasaan pengetahuan dan teknologi kita di bidang pertanian cukup besar. Ratusan lembaga penelitian, perguruan tinggi, dan berbagai lembaga pendukung riset di bidang pertanian sebenarnya bisa menjadi lumbung berbagai teknologi pertanian.
Hasil penelitian mereka sangat bisa diandalkan karena biasanya sangat sesuai dengan kondisi iklim dan potensi sumberdaya lokal. Sudah banyak bukti keberhasilan pengembangan industri pertanian yang memanfaatkan hasil penelitian para peneliti lokal. Namun harus diakui, peran lembaga-lembaga penelitian itu belum optimal karena masih banyak potensi pertanian yang belum tergarap.
(Untuk informasi lebih lengkapnya silahkan berlangganan Tabloid SINAR TANI. SMS ke : 081584414991)
© 2008 Sinar Tani Online. All rights reserved
Minggu, 07 Februari 2010
Budidaya Tanaman Hidroponik
Prospek Apik Budidaya Tanaman Hidroponik
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Tanaman HidroponikDua persoalan satu jawaban. Keluhan terbatasnya lahan pertanian dan bahaya residu pestisida cukup dijawab dengan sistem hidroponik. Wiyono
Bertanam hidroponik bukan lagi sekadar hobi. Di samping mampu mengatasi faktor keterbatasan lahan akibat perkembangan kota-kota besar, pergeseran gaya hidup masyarakat moderen memilih konsumsi hasil pertanian yang lebih sehat dan bebas residu pestisida menjadi alasan sistem hidroponik semakin layak diterapkan dalam skala usaha. Apalagi di pasaran harga jual dari hasil budidaya hidroponik relatif lebih tinggi 300%-500% dibandingkan cara biasa.
Alasan lain, menurut Agung Wahyudi, Direktur Parung Agro Training Centre (PATC), kelebihan industri pertanian yang menerapkan teknologi hidroponik, jaminan 3 K (kualitas, kuantitas, kontinyuitas) dapat terpenuhi. Sistem hidroponik memungkinkan penggunanaan pupuk maupun pestisida diukur secara akurat sehingga dapat tercapai hasil optimal. Maka sekilas pandang saja hasil produksinya sudah kelihatan lebih berkualitas.
Sementara itu, sistem yang dikenal sebagai budidaya tanam tanpa tanah atau soilless culture tersebut juga tidak boros lahan seperti halnya bertani secara konvensional, jadi bisa dijalankan di lahan sempit. Kemampuan produksinya malah bisa mencapai perbandingan 3:1 dan dapat berlangsung terus-menerus, karena tidak tergantung lagi pada cuaca maupun area penanamannya. Artinya bisa dilakukan mulai dari lahan di tepi pantai hingga di daerah pegunungan. “Pada prinsipnya tanaman yang dibudidayakan secara hidroponik dapat hidup di daerah mana saja,” tukasnya.
Sebagai informasi, PATC merupakan divisi pelatihan agrobisnis dari PT. Kebun Sayur Segar (KSS) yang berkantor pusat di Parung, Bogor, Jawa Barat. Secara resmi, KSS berdiri tahun 2003 dengan produk utama berupa sayur-sayuran dan buah. Tetapi ditilik dari sejarahnya, perusahaan yang dirintis oleh Soebagyo Karsono tersebut sebenarnya sudah beroperasi selama sekitar 15 tahun. Sebelum mulai mengembangkan produksi sebelumnya diawali kerja sama dengan BPPT membuat kebun hidroponik, dan mengadakan program-program pelatihan agrobisnis, terutama sistem hidroponik.
Ulasan selengkapnya dapat dibaca di Majalah Pengusaha edisi 86/2008
© 2010 Majalah Pengusaha - Referensi Usaha Anda
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Tanaman HidroponikDua persoalan satu jawaban. Keluhan terbatasnya lahan pertanian dan bahaya residu pestisida cukup dijawab dengan sistem hidroponik. Wiyono
Bertanam hidroponik bukan lagi sekadar hobi. Di samping mampu mengatasi faktor keterbatasan lahan akibat perkembangan kota-kota besar, pergeseran gaya hidup masyarakat moderen memilih konsumsi hasil pertanian yang lebih sehat dan bebas residu pestisida menjadi alasan sistem hidroponik semakin layak diterapkan dalam skala usaha. Apalagi di pasaran harga jual dari hasil budidaya hidroponik relatif lebih tinggi 300%-500% dibandingkan cara biasa.
Alasan lain, menurut Agung Wahyudi, Direktur Parung Agro Training Centre (PATC), kelebihan industri pertanian yang menerapkan teknologi hidroponik, jaminan 3 K (kualitas, kuantitas, kontinyuitas) dapat terpenuhi. Sistem hidroponik memungkinkan penggunanaan pupuk maupun pestisida diukur secara akurat sehingga dapat tercapai hasil optimal. Maka sekilas pandang saja hasil produksinya sudah kelihatan lebih berkualitas.
Sementara itu, sistem yang dikenal sebagai budidaya tanam tanpa tanah atau soilless culture tersebut juga tidak boros lahan seperti halnya bertani secara konvensional, jadi bisa dijalankan di lahan sempit. Kemampuan produksinya malah bisa mencapai perbandingan 3:1 dan dapat berlangsung terus-menerus, karena tidak tergantung lagi pada cuaca maupun area penanamannya. Artinya bisa dilakukan mulai dari lahan di tepi pantai hingga di daerah pegunungan. “Pada prinsipnya tanaman yang dibudidayakan secara hidroponik dapat hidup di daerah mana saja,” tukasnya.
Sebagai informasi, PATC merupakan divisi pelatihan agrobisnis dari PT. Kebun Sayur Segar (KSS) yang berkantor pusat di Parung, Bogor, Jawa Barat. Secara resmi, KSS berdiri tahun 2003 dengan produk utama berupa sayur-sayuran dan buah. Tetapi ditilik dari sejarahnya, perusahaan yang dirintis oleh Soebagyo Karsono tersebut sebenarnya sudah beroperasi selama sekitar 15 tahun. Sebelum mulai mengembangkan produksi sebelumnya diawali kerja sama dengan BPPT membuat kebun hidroponik, dan mengadakan program-program pelatihan agrobisnis, terutama sistem hidroponik.
Ulasan selengkapnya dapat dibaca di Majalah Pengusaha edisi 86/2008
© 2010 Majalah Pengusaha - Referensi Usaha Anda
calcium sulphate
Manufacture of calcium sulphate alpha hemihydrate
United States Patent 4120737
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A process for the manufacture of calcium sulphate alpha-hemihydrate which comprises the step of interacting an aqueous solution of calcium chloride and a source of sulphate or bisulphate ions in an aqueous system at a temperature above the calcium sulphate hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature under the reaction conditions. The preferred reagents are the waste calcium chloride/sodium chloride effluent of the ammonia soda process and sulphuric acid (e.g. impure sulphuric acid effluent) to give hydrochloric acid as a co-product. The preferred reaction temperature is at least 20° C. above the transition temperature (about 70° C), e.g. at 95°-100° C at atmospheric pressure.
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US Patent References:
Preparation of magnesium oxide from magnesite
Heuer - February, 1967 - 3302997
Production of calcium sulfate
Sullivan - January, 1947 - 2413799
N/A
Sturcke - March, 1898 - 0601006
Foreign References:
CS150396 September, 1973
GB11638OF December, 1890 423/166
SU345099 August, 1972
Other References:
"Manufacture of Soda, with Special Reference to the Ammonia Process", Te-Pong How, American Chemical Society Monograph Series, Reinhold Publishing Corp., N.Y., N.Y., 1942, pp. 253-254.
Inventors:
Berrie, John Sorbie (Runcorn, GB2)
Woolley, Graham Edward (Runcorn, GB2)
Application Number:
05/570946
Publication Date:
10/17/1978
Filing Date:
04/22/1975
View Patent Images:
Download PDF 4120737 pdf PDF help
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation
Assignee:
Imperial Chemical Industries Limited (London, GB2)
Primary Class:
106/772
Other Classes:
423/555, 423/482, 423/488, 423/170, 423/166, 106/783, 423/163
International Classes:
C01F11/46; C04B11/00; C01F11/00; C04B11/00
Field of Search:
106/109, 106/110, 423/163, 423/166, 423/170, 423/555
Primary Examiner:
Dean R.
Assistant Examiner:
Sheehan, John P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Cushman, Darby & Cushman
Claims:
What we claim is:
1. A process for the manufacture of calcium sulphate alpha-hemihydrate which comprises the step of reacting an aqueous solution of calcium chloride which is the calcium chloride/sodium chloride containing liquor produced as a waste effluent in the ammonia soda process and sulphuric acid in an aqueous system at a temperature which is above the calcium sulphate hemihydrate/calcium sulphate dihydrate (gypsum) transition temperature under the reaction conditions.
2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the sulphuric acid contains 40 to 98% by weight of H2 SO4.
3. A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein the sulphuric acid is an impure sulphuric acid effluent.
4. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reaction is carried out at a temperature of at least 20° C. above the hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature.
5. A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the reaction is carried out in the range 95° C. to 100° C. at atmospheric pressure and alpha-hemihydrate is separated from the reaction mixture at about 100° C.
6. A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the alpha-hemihydrate is separated from the reaction mixture at a temperature above the hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature to give moist alpha-hemihydrate and a liquor comprising hydrochloric acid, and the moist alpha-hemihydrate is subsequently washed with water and dried to give dry alpha-hemihydrate.
7. A process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the associated liquor and the washings are cooled to precipitate gypsum, the gypsum is separated recycled to the reaction between calcium chloride solution and sulphate ions, and the hydrochloric acid liquor and washings are recovered.
8. A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the reaction is carried out at 140° C. to 160° C. at 5-10 atmospheres absolute.
9. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the alpha-hemihydrate is separated from the reaction mixture at a temperature above the hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature to give a moist solid and an associated liquor comprising hydrochloric acid, and the moist solid is subsequently washed with water and dried at 100-120° C. to give dry alpha-hemihydrate.
Description:
The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of calcium sulphate alpha-hemihydrate.
Plaster of Paris (CaSO 4 .1/2H 2 O) is extensively used to manufacture plasterboard and various plaster products. It is usually produced in the form of beta-hemihydrate by the dry calcination of natural or synthetic by-product gypsum. The other form of Plaster of Paris, namely alpha-hemihydrate, is a highly crystalline material which is believed to be superior to the beta form in that it can give a stronger set product and requires less drying. The alpha-hemihydrate is produced, for example, by heating a slurry of gypsum and liquid water under pressure in an autoclave, for example as described in the specification of our UK Pat. No. 1,051,849.
Russian Pat. No. 345,099 describes the preparation of gypsum (CaSO 4 . 2 H 2 O) by the interaction of an aqueous solution of calcium chloride and dilute sulphuric, and in particular, by the interaction of the calcium chloride containing liquor produced as a waste effluent in the ammonia soda process and sulphuric acid containing organic impurities, for example impurities from the production of vinyl chloride and ethyl chloride.
Czech Pat. No. 150,396 describes the preparation of alpha-hemihydrate by neutralising waste waters containing sulphuric acid and sulphates with lime or limestone at a temperature of 90° C. to 150° C.
We have now found that calcium chloride solution and sulphate ions can be reacted to produce the desired alpha-hemihydrate. This provides a simple and effective alternative process to the autoclave process referred to above, avoids the further step of having to convert gypsum (e.g. as produced by the process described in Russian Pat. No. 345,099) to alpha-hemihydrate, and provides a process which is readily controllable (as compared with the process described in Czech. Pat. No. 150,396) since it involves the interaction of two solutions.
According to the present invention we provide a process for the manufacture of calcium sulphate alphahemihydrate which comprises the step of interacting an aqueous solution of calcium chloride and a source of sulphate or bisulphate ions in an aqueous system at a temperature which is above the calcium sulphate hemihydrate/calcium sulphate dihydrate (gypsum) transition temperature apertaining under the reaction conditions.
It is especially convenient to use the calcium chloride containing liquor which is produced as a waste effluent in the ammonia soda process. Thus in the distillation stage of the ammonia soda process, ammonium chloride liquors are heated with milk of lime in distillers to recover ammonia. An equivalent amount of calcium chloride is formed at the same time and remains in solution together with any sodium chloride that has passed through the process. Mixed with and suspended in this solution are various insoluble calcium compounds, for example aluminates, silicates, carbonates and sulphates, and other insoluble materials introduced into the system via the lime. The suspension of waste solids in the calcium chloride/sodium chloride liquor leaving the distiller is usually allowed to settle, and the clear liquor overflowing from the settlers provides a source of calcium ions for use in the process according to the invention. Typically, the calcium chloride/sodium chloride effluent from the ammonia soda process contains 10.5% CaCl 2 , 8.0% NaCl on a weight/volume basis.
It is convenient to use sulphuric acid as the source of sulphate ions, although other sulphate or bisulphate containing liquors, e.g. sodium sulphate or bisulphate solutions, are also suitable. A range of aqueous solutions of sulphuric acid containing up to 98 percent by weight of H 2 SO 4 may be used, and also fuming sulphuric acid or oleum, but it is preferred to use sulphuric acid solutions containing from 40% to 98% by weight of H 2 SO 4 . It is especially convenient to use impure sulphuric acid effluents which are produced in a number of industrial processes, for example the sulphuric acid/ammonium sulphate effluents obtained as by-products in the manufacture of methyl methacrylate and of sodium cyanide, and the waste sulphuric acid obtained after being used as a drying agent (e.g. for drying chlorine gases, or chloromethanes).
In an aqueous system containing no other ions than calcium ions and sulphate ions, the hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature is 97° C. The transition temperature is affected, however, to some extent by the actual concentrations of the calcium ions and the sulphate ions and to a much greater extent by the concentrations of other ions which may be present, especially chloride ions. In the presence of chloride ions, the transition temperature is lowered. For example when reacting the calcium chloride/sodium chloride solutions with sulphuric acid, the transition temperature is reduced to about 70° C. at a chloride concentration of 98 g/liter.
The process may be carried out at any temperature above the transition temperature, but the degree of conversion of the reacting materials to alpha-hemihydrate increases with increase in temperature and increase in residence time. The process is preferably carried out at a temperature of at least 20° C. above the transition temperature, and especially in a temperature range of 50° to 100° C. above the transition temperature. Thus when interacting the calcium chloride/sodium chloride effluent from the ammonia soda process and sulphuric acid, for example, whence the transition temperature is about 70° C., the process may conveniently be carried out at 95° to 100° C. at atmospheric pressure, or preferably at a temperature of at least 140° C., for example 150° to 160° C., at a superatmospheric pressure (for example between 5 and 10 atmospheres absolute). The residence time is conveniently in the range 0.5 minute to 60 minutes, and preferably in the range 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
The process may be carried out in the presence of crystal habit modifiers which are known to assist in the production alpha-hemihydrate of commercially useful crystalline structure, for example when producing alphahemihydrate from gypsum as described in UK Pat. No. 1,051,849. The habit modifiers include, for example, inorganic salts of trivalent metal ions, such as iron, aluminium, chromium; and polar organic compounds, for example acids and salts of acids.
The process may be carried out batchwise if desired, but it is especially applicable to continuous production.
The alpha-hemihydrate may be separated from the reaction mixture by any convenient means for example by filtration or centrifuging, provided the temperature of the separation stage is maintained at a temperature above the hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature in water, e.g. at about 100° C. The separated solids are suitably washed with water and the combined washings and filtrate (containing hydrochloric acid when using sulphuric acid or bisulphate ions as starting materials) are cooled, filtered to remove any calcium sulphate precipitated, and the hydrochloric acid is then collected. The moist calcium sulphate obtained in this latter filtration stage may be recycled to the process stage if desired.
The separated alpha-hemihydrate is heated to remove moisture, for example in a steam heated drier at 100° to 120° C.
It will be appreciated that the calcium chloride solution and the sulphate ions could be reacted at a temperature below the hemihydrate/gypsum transition point to precipitate gypsum, which may then be separated as a moist solid, and either decomposed directly (for example in a drier) or slurried and decomposed in an autoclave (for example as described in UK Pat. No. 1,051,849). Both these methods involve the additional step of converting gypsum to alpha-hemihydrate, whereas alpha-hemihydrate is produced directly in the process according to the present invention.
The dried alpha-hemihydrate produced in the present process may be used without further modification in the manufacture of plasterboard, wall blocks or as an inert filler. The process has the further advantage of producing hydrochloric acid as a useful by-product.
The present process also provides useful outlets for waste calcium chloride effluents produced in the ammonia soda process and for low grade sulphuric acids produced in a number of processes. The utilisation of such waste products reduces the environmental problems associated with their disposal .
The process is illustrated but not limited by the following example.
EXAMPLE
440 ml of 49% sulphuric acid were added to 4 liters of clear still liquor from the ammonia-soda process containing 38 g/liter calcium, 98 g/liter chloride and to which 5 g/liter aluminium sulphate had been added. The addition of sulphuric acid took place under agitation over 1.25 mins with the mixture held at 90° C. The mixture was stirred continuously for a further 3 minutes, then filtered under vacuum, washed with water and then dried. 549g of calcium sulphate alpha-hemihydrate were obtained, corresponding to a conversion, based on the sulphuric acid used, of 93.5%.
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United States Patent 4120737
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A process for the manufacture of calcium sulphate alpha-hemihydrate which comprises the step of interacting an aqueous solution of calcium chloride and a source of sulphate or bisulphate ions in an aqueous system at a temperature above the calcium sulphate hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature under the reaction conditions. The preferred reagents are the waste calcium chloride/sodium chloride effluent of the ammonia soda process and sulphuric acid (e.g. impure sulphuric acid effluent) to give hydrochloric acid as a co-product. The preferred reaction temperature is at least 20° C. above the transition temperature (about 70° C), e.g. at 95°-100° C at atmospheric pressure.
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US Patent References:
Preparation of magnesium oxide from magnesite
Heuer - February, 1967 - 3302997
Production of calcium sulfate
Sullivan - January, 1947 - 2413799
N/A
Sturcke - March, 1898 - 0601006
Foreign References:
CS150396 September, 1973
GB11638OF December, 1890 423/166
SU345099 August, 1972
Other References:
"Manufacture of Soda, with Special Reference to the Ammonia Process", Te-Pong How, American Chemical Society Monograph Series, Reinhold Publishing Corp., N.Y., N.Y., 1942, pp. 253-254.
Inventors:
Berrie, John Sorbie (Runcorn, GB2)
Woolley, Graham Edward (Runcorn, GB2)
Application Number:
05/570946
Publication Date:
10/17/1978
Filing Date:
04/22/1975
View Patent Images:
Download PDF 4120737 pdf PDF help
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
Imperial Chemical Industries Limited (London, GB2)
Primary Class:
106/772
Other Classes:
423/555, 423/482, 423/488, 423/170, 423/166, 106/783, 423/163
International Classes:
C01F11/46; C04B11/00; C01F11/00; C04B11/00
Field of Search:
106/109, 106/110, 423/163, 423/166, 423/170, 423/555
Primary Examiner:
Dean R.
Assistant Examiner:
Sheehan, John P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Cushman, Darby & Cushman
Claims:
What we claim is:
1. A process for the manufacture of calcium sulphate alpha-hemihydrate which comprises the step of reacting an aqueous solution of calcium chloride which is the calcium chloride/sodium chloride containing liquor produced as a waste effluent in the ammonia soda process and sulphuric acid in an aqueous system at a temperature which is above the calcium sulphate hemihydrate/calcium sulphate dihydrate (gypsum) transition temperature under the reaction conditions.
2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the sulphuric acid contains 40 to 98% by weight of H2 SO4.
3. A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein the sulphuric acid is an impure sulphuric acid effluent.
4. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reaction is carried out at a temperature of at least 20° C. above the hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature.
5. A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the reaction is carried out in the range 95° C. to 100° C. at atmospheric pressure and alpha-hemihydrate is separated from the reaction mixture at about 100° C.
6. A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the alpha-hemihydrate is separated from the reaction mixture at a temperature above the hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature to give moist alpha-hemihydrate and a liquor comprising hydrochloric acid, and the moist alpha-hemihydrate is subsequently washed with water and dried to give dry alpha-hemihydrate.
7. A process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the associated liquor and the washings are cooled to precipitate gypsum, the gypsum is separated recycled to the reaction between calcium chloride solution and sulphate ions, and the hydrochloric acid liquor and washings are recovered.
8. A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the reaction is carried out at 140° C. to 160° C. at 5-10 atmospheres absolute.
9. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the alpha-hemihydrate is separated from the reaction mixture at a temperature above the hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature to give a moist solid and an associated liquor comprising hydrochloric acid, and the moist solid is subsequently washed with water and dried at 100-120° C. to give dry alpha-hemihydrate.
Description:
The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of calcium sulphate alpha-hemihydrate.
Plaster of Paris (CaSO 4 .1/2H 2 O) is extensively used to manufacture plasterboard and various plaster products. It is usually produced in the form of beta-hemihydrate by the dry calcination of natural or synthetic by-product gypsum. The other form of Plaster of Paris, namely alpha-hemihydrate, is a highly crystalline material which is believed to be superior to the beta form in that it can give a stronger set product and requires less drying. The alpha-hemihydrate is produced, for example, by heating a slurry of gypsum and liquid water under pressure in an autoclave, for example as described in the specification of our UK Pat. No. 1,051,849.
Russian Pat. No. 345,099 describes the preparation of gypsum (CaSO 4 . 2 H 2 O) by the interaction of an aqueous solution of calcium chloride and dilute sulphuric, and in particular, by the interaction of the calcium chloride containing liquor produced as a waste effluent in the ammonia soda process and sulphuric acid containing organic impurities, for example impurities from the production of vinyl chloride and ethyl chloride.
Czech Pat. No. 150,396 describes the preparation of alpha-hemihydrate by neutralising waste waters containing sulphuric acid and sulphates with lime or limestone at a temperature of 90° C. to 150° C.
We have now found that calcium chloride solution and sulphate ions can be reacted to produce the desired alpha-hemihydrate. This provides a simple and effective alternative process to the autoclave process referred to above, avoids the further step of having to convert gypsum (e.g. as produced by the process described in Russian Pat. No. 345,099) to alpha-hemihydrate, and provides a process which is readily controllable (as compared with the process described in Czech. Pat. No. 150,396) since it involves the interaction of two solutions.
According to the present invention we provide a process for the manufacture of calcium sulphate alphahemihydrate which comprises the step of interacting an aqueous solution of calcium chloride and a source of sulphate or bisulphate ions in an aqueous system at a temperature which is above the calcium sulphate hemihydrate/calcium sulphate dihydrate (gypsum) transition temperature apertaining under the reaction conditions.
It is especially convenient to use the calcium chloride containing liquor which is produced as a waste effluent in the ammonia soda process. Thus in the distillation stage of the ammonia soda process, ammonium chloride liquors are heated with milk of lime in distillers to recover ammonia. An equivalent amount of calcium chloride is formed at the same time and remains in solution together with any sodium chloride that has passed through the process. Mixed with and suspended in this solution are various insoluble calcium compounds, for example aluminates, silicates, carbonates and sulphates, and other insoluble materials introduced into the system via the lime. The suspension of waste solids in the calcium chloride/sodium chloride liquor leaving the distiller is usually allowed to settle, and the clear liquor overflowing from the settlers provides a source of calcium ions for use in the process according to the invention. Typically, the calcium chloride/sodium chloride effluent from the ammonia soda process contains 10.5% CaCl 2 , 8.0% NaCl on a weight/volume basis.
It is convenient to use sulphuric acid as the source of sulphate ions, although other sulphate or bisulphate containing liquors, e.g. sodium sulphate or bisulphate solutions, are also suitable. A range of aqueous solutions of sulphuric acid containing up to 98 percent by weight of H 2 SO 4 may be used, and also fuming sulphuric acid or oleum, but it is preferred to use sulphuric acid solutions containing from 40% to 98% by weight of H 2 SO 4 . It is especially convenient to use impure sulphuric acid effluents which are produced in a number of industrial processes, for example the sulphuric acid/ammonium sulphate effluents obtained as by-products in the manufacture of methyl methacrylate and of sodium cyanide, and the waste sulphuric acid obtained after being used as a drying agent (e.g. for drying chlorine gases, or chloromethanes).
In an aqueous system containing no other ions than calcium ions and sulphate ions, the hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature is 97° C. The transition temperature is affected, however, to some extent by the actual concentrations of the calcium ions and the sulphate ions and to a much greater extent by the concentrations of other ions which may be present, especially chloride ions. In the presence of chloride ions, the transition temperature is lowered. For example when reacting the calcium chloride/sodium chloride solutions with sulphuric acid, the transition temperature is reduced to about 70° C. at a chloride concentration of 98 g/liter.
The process may be carried out at any temperature above the transition temperature, but the degree of conversion of the reacting materials to alpha-hemihydrate increases with increase in temperature and increase in residence time. The process is preferably carried out at a temperature of at least 20° C. above the transition temperature, and especially in a temperature range of 50° to 100° C. above the transition temperature. Thus when interacting the calcium chloride/sodium chloride effluent from the ammonia soda process and sulphuric acid, for example, whence the transition temperature is about 70° C., the process may conveniently be carried out at 95° to 100° C. at atmospheric pressure, or preferably at a temperature of at least 140° C., for example 150° to 160° C., at a superatmospheric pressure (for example between 5 and 10 atmospheres absolute). The residence time is conveniently in the range 0.5 minute to 60 minutes, and preferably in the range 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
The process may be carried out in the presence of crystal habit modifiers which are known to assist in the production alpha-hemihydrate of commercially useful crystalline structure, for example when producing alphahemihydrate from gypsum as described in UK Pat. No. 1,051,849. The habit modifiers include, for example, inorganic salts of trivalent metal ions, such as iron, aluminium, chromium; and polar organic compounds, for example acids and salts of acids.
The process may be carried out batchwise if desired, but it is especially applicable to continuous production.
The alpha-hemihydrate may be separated from the reaction mixture by any convenient means for example by filtration or centrifuging, provided the temperature of the separation stage is maintained at a temperature above the hemihydrate/gypsum transition temperature in water, e.g. at about 100° C. The separated solids are suitably washed with water and the combined washings and filtrate (containing hydrochloric acid when using sulphuric acid or bisulphate ions as starting materials) are cooled, filtered to remove any calcium sulphate precipitated, and the hydrochloric acid is then collected. The moist calcium sulphate obtained in this latter filtration stage may be recycled to the process stage if desired.
The separated alpha-hemihydrate is heated to remove moisture, for example in a steam heated drier at 100° to 120° C.
It will be appreciated that the calcium chloride solution and the sulphate ions could be reacted at a temperature below the hemihydrate/gypsum transition point to precipitate gypsum, which may then be separated as a moist solid, and either decomposed directly (for example in a drier) or slurried and decomposed in an autoclave (for example as described in UK Pat. No. 1,051,849). Both these methods involve the additional step of converting gypsum to alpha-hemihydrate, whereas alpha-hemihydrate is produced directly in the process according to the present invention.
The dried alpha-hemihydrate produced in the present process may be used without further modification in the manufacture of plasterboard, wall blocks or as an inert filler. The process has the further advantage of producing hydrochloric acid as a useful by-product.
The present process also provides useful outlets for waste calcium chloride effluents produced in the ammonia soda process and for low grade sulphuric acids produced in a number of processes. The utilisation of such waste products reduces the environmental problems associated with their disposal .
The process is illustrated but not limited by the following example.
EXAMPLE
440 ml of 49% sulphuric acid were added to 4 liters of clear still liquor from the ammonia-soda process containing 38 g/liter calcium, 98 g/liter chloride and to which 5 g/liter aluminium sulphate had been added. The addition of sulphuric acid took place under agitation over 1.25 mins with the mixture held at 90° C. The mixture was stirred continuously for a further 3 minutes, then filtered under vacuum, washed with water and then dried. 549g of calcium sulphate alpha-hemihydrate were obtained, corresponding to a conversion, based on the sulphuric acid used, of 93.5%.
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