Where can I get palm oil fuel ash?

[Monomial]

This is directed to the palm oil farmers, or anyone else who happens to know anything about biomass gasification here in Thailand.  I am researching the use of palm oil fuel ash as a surfactant, and need to obtain a few kg of ash for research and development. Palm oil fuel ash, or POFA, is the ash that remains after burning the bunches and other biomass that was left over after producing palm oil. Typically, this is done in biomass gasification facilities for fuel.

 

I am trying to understand the production lifecycle of palm oil here in Thailand, in order to determine who I can approach to obtain a small quantity of the ash left over after processing.

 

If anyone has any knowledge of where I might get this, please let me know.

[IsaanAussie]

Only suggestions I can make is to contact PTT HQ in Bangkok or to look for industry associations at the FTI. 

The only palm growers I know sell bunches and do not add value onsite.

 

Edited February 9, 2020 by IsaanAussie

[Monomial]

3 hours ago, IsaanAussie said:

Only suggestions I can make is to contact PTT HQ in Bangkok or to look for industry associations at the FTI. 

The only palm growers I know sell bunches and do not add value onsite.

 

 

Thanks IssanAussie. Do you know who they sell their fruit to?  I am thinking I might be able to follow the production chain. My guess is the middlemen won't want to reveal their contacts, but they may be able to forward a message for me to the right people and collect the ash for me. I would be willing to pay them for their effort.

 

I already sent an email off to Univanich. Don't expect an answer, but I might call them next week and just verify they got my request.

 

 

[FEBiochar]

I'm based in Malaysia where there are 4-500 palm oil mills and I suggest almost none of them use gasification. All tradition raked hearth boilers (lots of ash dumped or sent back to plantation soils). My focus is biochar so I'm keen to see a revolution in biomass energy management in the mill. This needs pyrolysis (or maybe gasification?).

 

I'm sure Thailand is different and I know better feed-in tariffs have led to more biomass gasification projects in Thailand. Sorry - probably wondered off topic a bit. 

[Monomial]

6 hours ago, FEBiochar said:

I'm based in Malaysia where there are 4-500 palm oil mills and I suggest almost none of them use gasification. All tradition raked hearth boilers (lots of ash dumped or sent back to plantation soils). My focus is biochar so I'm keen to see a revolution in biomass energy management in the mill. This needs pyrolysis (or maybe gasification?).

 

I'm sure Thailand is different and I know better feed-in tariffs have led to more biomass gasification projects in Thailand. Sorry - probably wondered off topic a bit. 

 

Thanks FEBiochar.

 

Very valuable information. The ash is probably still usable in this case, as long as it is not full of clinker. The same minerals that don't burn in a gasifier also don't burn in a traditional boiler. I could always sift out the clinker and pulverize the ash to get smaller particles. This is only for R&D. Not a production process. Do you know how I could get a few kg?

[drtreelove]

My stepdaughter lives on a oil palm farm and works at a processing plant in Chumphon.  PM me for contact information. Don

Edited February 11, 2020 by drtreelove