TWI881403B - Method of manufacturing potassium-rich organic material from biomass residues - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing potassium-rich organic materials from biomass waste, and in particular to a method for producing potassium-rich organic materials from agricultural residues cocoa pods and a method for producing potassium-rich organic materials from agricultural residues cocoa pods and rice husks by a simple and low-energy preparation process. The preparation process for producing potassium-rich organic materials of the present invention is to first dry, crush, sieve and simmer the cocoa pods to produce a granular material, and then heat and water to dissolve potassium salt to obtain a high-content potassium salt alkaline liquid, and then heat and dry to obtain a potassium-rich organic material, the potassium content of which can be higher than 20 wt%. The preparation process of the potassium-rich silicon organic material of the present invention is to mix the high-potassium alkaline liquid with the rice husk rich in silicon dioxide by elution; after the solid-liquid separation of the mixed liquid, the potassium-rich silicon organic material can be obtained, and the silicon content can be higher than 4.5 wt%, and the potassium content can be higher than 30 wt%.

Description

Method for producing potassium-rich organic materials from biomass waste

The present invention relates to a method for producing potassium-rich organic materials and potassium-silicon-rich organic materials from biomass waste. Specifically, it relates to a method for producing potassium-rich organic materials with a potassium content of at least 20 wt% from agricultural residue cocoa pods, and a method for producing potassium-silicon-rich organic materials with a silicon content of at least 4.5 wt% and a potassium content of at least 30 wt% from agricultural residue cocoa pods and rice husks by a simple and low-energy preparation process.

Cocoa pod husk (CPH) and rice husk (RH) are high-ash hard biomass in agricultural waste and have high recycling value. According to existing literature, cocoa pod and rice husk have specific thermochemical properties (see Table 1).

[Table 1] Thermochemical properties of cocoa pod and rice husk Thermochemical properties Cocoa pods Rice Husk Project Numerical value Approximate analysis (dry basis) Fixed Carbon wt% 15.9 16.2 Volatile substances wt% 74.3 63.5 Ash wt% 9.8 20.3 Final analysis (dry basis) carbon wt% 43.25 38.83 Hydrogen wt% 6.06 4.75 nitrogen wt% 1.03 0.52 sulfur wt% 0.34 0.05 Oxygen (By difference) wt% 49.32 55.85 High calorific value MJ/kg 17.83 15.84 Ash element composition SiO ₂ wt% -- 91.42 Al ₂ O ₃ wt% -- 0.78 _TiO2 wt% -- 0.02 _{Fe2O3 ​} wt% -- 0.14 CaO wt% 5.72 3.21 MgO wt% 8.23 -- NaO ₂ wt% -- 0.21 _K2O wt% 80.32 3.71 _{P2O5 ​} wt% 5.19 0.43 MnO wt% 0.54 -- Note: "--" indicates the concentration is lower than the lower limit of the instrument detection concentration.

Rice husks are mainly composed of silicon dioxide and lignin fibers (containing fixed carbon), with weight percentages of 15-20% and 80-85% respectively. Cocoa pods contain high amounts of organic carbon and potassium, at 40-50% and 3-5% respectively. These characteristics make cocoa pods and rice husks potential in the development of carbon materials and potassium-rich organic materials.

Pingtung, Taiwan is the northernmost region in the world for growing cocoa trees. In recent years, the cocoa industry in the region has developed. However, a large amount of cocoa pod waste is also produced. The weight of cocoa pods accounts for about 80% of the by-products of cocoa trees. Based on the wet base yield of about 6 tons of cocoa pods per hectare, and an annual planting area of 300 hectares, the annual output of cocoa pods is about 2,000 tons. However, most of the cocoa pod waste is currently discarded or directly used as organic fertilizer, which will cause environmental problems such as air pollution and greenhouse gas _CO2 emissions.

Rice husks are widely used in bedding, seedling cultivation medium, compost, feed/feed raw materials, etc. However, rice husks can also be burned to produce rice husk ash (amorphous silica), which can be used in cement additives, oil and chemical absorbents, soil conditioner silicon sources, demoulding drive avoiders, insulation materials, catalyst carriers, etc., as well as other high-priced silicon materials or silicide materials (SiC, Si ₃ N ₄ , Mg ₂ Si, etc.) as precursor materials. In addition, the lignin fiber components in rice husks can be used to prepare carbon materials, and can also be directly burned (or gasified) to generate energy or electricity.

To solve the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to transform cocoa husks and rice husks, which are agricultural waste, into low-pollution and high-value-added organic materials through a simple and low-energy wet process. These organic materials are low-carbon innovative green products that combine biological resources and agricultural circular economy, and can effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

To achieve the above purpose, the inventors have found through in-depth research that cocoa pods can be used as a pre-driving source for alkaline solution, and after cocoa pods are made into alkaline solution through a specific wet process, potassium-rich organic materials can be further prepared from the alkaline solution. At the same time, the alkaline solution can be further used as an alkaline solution extractant, which reacts with silicon dioxide rich in rice husks to generate water-soluble silicates, thereby preparing potassium-silicon-rich organic materials.

Therefore, the present invention provides the following technical means.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for producing potassium-rich organic materials from biomass waste, which is characterized by comprising the following steps: A physical pre-treatment step, which is to dry, crush and screen the cocoa pods; A carbonization step, which is to carbonize the cocoa pods product after the physical pre-treatment step and then cool them; A water washing and dissolution step, which is to add water to the cocoa pods product after the carbonization step, and then heat the temperature to 70°C to 90°C for water washing and dissolution, so that the potassium salt contained in the cocoa pods product is dissolved; The first solid-liquid separation step is to cool the dissolution solution of the water washing dissolution step and then perform solid-liquid separation to obtain a potassium-rich alkaline solution; and the drying and precipitation step is to dry the potassium-rich alkaline solution to precipitate a solid potassium-rich organic material.

In another embodiment, in the carbonization treatment step, the carbonization can be performed by smoldering or roasting. The smoldering can be performed by placing the cocoa pods in a sealed container, igniting and burning, and then leaving them for 8-12 hours until they cool to room temperature. The roasting can be performed by placing the cocoa pods in a sealed container, heating them to a specified temperature with an electric heating device, and then placing the cocoa pods in a desiccator to cool to room temperature. In one embodiment, the designated temperature may be 230°C to 400°C, preferably 270°C, 300°C, 330°C, 360°C and 390°C, and more preferably 300°C, 330°C based on productivity and carbonization degree.

In another embodiment, the water washing and dissolving step can use dilute acid water with a pH value of 9-12, preferably using dilute acid water with a pH value of 9-11, and more preferably using dilute acid water with a pH value of 10-11.

In another embodiment, the heating temperature in the water wash dissolution step is 60°C to 90°C, ideally 75-85°C.

In another embodiment, the average particle size of the cocoa pods after screening in the physical pre-treatment step is greater than 0.84 mm and less than or equal to 1.70 mm, ideally 1.00 mm to 1.50 mm, and more ideally 1.27 mm.

In another embodiment, the yield of the carbonized cocoa pod product obtained in the carbonization step is 47 wt % to 90 wt %, ideally 58 wt % to 80 wt %, and more ideally 65 wt % to 72 wt %.

In another embodiment, the drying temperature in the physical pre-treatment step is 80°C to 120°C, preferably 90°C to 110°C, and more preferably 105°C.

In another embodiment, the potassium content of the potassium-rich organic material is 20 wt % to 60 wt %, ideally 30 wt % to 55 wt %, and more ideally 40 wt % to 50 wt %.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for producing a potassium-rich silicon organic material from biomass waste, which is characterized by comprising the following steps: A mixing and eluting step, which is to mix the potassium-rich alkaline solution obtained by the method described above with rice husks, and then heat the mixture to precipitate silicon dioxide in the rice husks into liquid by eluting the potassium-containing alkaline solution; A second solid-liquid separation step, which is to cool the mixed solution of the mixing and eluting step, and then perform solid-liquid separation to obtain an alkaline solution rich in potassium and silicon; and A drying and precipitation step, which is to dry the alkaline solution rich in potassium and silicon to precipitate the potassium-rich silicon organic material as a solid.

In another embodiment, in the water washing and dissolution treatment step, an acid with a pH value of 8-11 (also called acid washing treatment) can be used, preferably an acid with a pH value of 9-11, and more preferably an acid with a pH value of 10-11. In some embodiments, the potassium content of the potassium-rich silicon-organic material is 30 wt% to 60 wt%, preferably 35 wt% to 55 wt%, and more preferably 35 wt% to 50 wt%.

In some embodiments, the silicon content in the potassium-rich silicon organic material is 3 wt% to 9 wt%, ideally 4 wt% to 8 wt%, and more ideally 5 wt% to 7 wt%.

Through the novel special process of the present invention, not only can agricultural waste cocoa husks and rice husks be transformed into high value-added natural green materials, but they can also be further applied to high-quality organic materials in farmland. At the same time, it can also effectively alleviate environmental problems such as waste pollution, resource depletion and greenhouse gas emissions.

The following will explain the content of the present invention through examples. It should be understood that the examples of the present invention are not intended to limit the present invention to any specific environment, application or special method as described in the examples. Therefore, the description of the examples is only for the purpose of explaining the present invention, not for limiting the present invention.

One embodiment of preparing a potassium-rich organic material from cocoa pods is as follows.

[Physical pre-treatment of cocoa pods] Cocoa pods are taken from cocoa farms in Pingtung. After the cocoa pods are cut and sliced, they are placed in an oven for drying. After the moisture content is reduced, they are crushed by a crusher, and then a vibrating screen is used to separate the particles into different sizes. There are three layers in total, namely, No. 12 screen, No. 20 screen, and No. 40 screen. The test uses No. 12-20 screens (that is, the sample passes through the No. 12 screen with a screen hole of 1.70 mm, but does not pass through the No. 20 screen with a screen hole of 0.84 mm, so its average particle size is 1.27 mm). Cocoa pods within this particle size range are dried in an oven at 105°C to remove residual moisture.

[Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of cocoa pods] To evaluate the conditions of carbonization treatment of cocoa pods by roasting under inert gas, a thermogravimetric analyzer (model: TGA-51, Shimadzu Corporation, Japan) was used to obtain the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curve of cocoa pod samples. The TGA analysis conditions were as follows: from room temperature to 900°C, heating rate 10°C/min, nitrogen flow rate 50 ^cm3 /min, and the analysis results are shown in Figure 1.

[Carbonization of cocoa pods (roasting)] Roasting is a mild thermal cracking process that can thermally decompose hemicellulose and part of cellulose. The temperature was set to 270℃, 300℃, 330℃, 360℃ and 390℃ according to the TGA analysis data above; the roasting heating device used an electric furnace (model: 64, Shengshang Industrial Co., Ltd., Taiwan).

Place about 2 g of cocoa pod sample in a crucible, cover it tightly and place it in an electric furnace. When the temperature reaches the set temperature, take the crucible to a desiccator to cool it down, weigh it and calculate the yield. The carbonization step by roasting is repeated twice.

[Water washing and leaching treatment of cocoa pods and the first solid-liquid separation] The products after carbonization treatment by roasting are shown in Figure 2. From left to right, they are the roasting products obtained at 270℃, 300℃, 330℃, 360℃ and 390℃. These carbonized products are subjected to water washing and leaching treatment steps or acid washing and leaching treatment steps respectively. The water washing and leaching treatment step is to first mix the sample and 50 mL of deionized water solution in a conical flask (250 mL). The acid washing treatment step is to first mix the sample and 50 mL of dilute acid (0.1 M hydrochloric acid solution) in a conical flask (250 mL). Then, a flat plate heating mixer is used to heat the mixed solution at a temperature of about 75°C for about 12 minutes to dissolve the potassium salt (i.e. ash) contained in the roasted cocoa pod product.

The conical flasks after the water washing and acid washing and dissolution treatments were cooled in a water bath, and then the solution in the conical flask was filtered using a vacuum solid-liquid separator to obtain a potassium-containing alkaline solution, and the pH value of each solution was measured using an acid-base meter (model: 6377MB, JENCO, Taiwan). The obtained products are shown in Figure 3. The upper part of Figure 3 shows the filtered solutions of the products roasted at 270℃, 300℃, 330℃, 360℃ and 390℃ after water washing and dissolution treatment and filtration; the lower part of Figure 3 shows the filtered solutions of the products roasted at 270℃, 300℃, 330℃, 360℃ and 390℃ after acid washing and dissolution and filtration from left to right.

[Drying of precipitated solids] The filtered solution (i.e., potassium-containing alkaline solution) is placed in an oven at about 105°C and dried for 8-12 hours to precipitate solids, which are potassium-containing organic materials. The dried precipitated solids of the water-washing and dissolution treatment group are shown in Figure 4 (from left to right, 270°C, 300°C, 330°C, 360°C, and 390°C), and the dried precipitated solids of the acid-washing and dissolution treatment group are shown in Figure 5 (from left to right, 270°C, 300°C, 330°C, 360°C, and 390°C).

[Elemental analysis] Energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS) (model: 7021-H, Horiba Co., Ltd., Japan) was used to analyze the surface element distribution of the potassium-containing solid organic material obtained after the above drying and precipitation step. The analysis results are shown in Table 4.

One embodiment of preparing potassium-silicon-rich organic materials from cocoa pods is as follows.

[Cocoa pod carbonization (smoldering) treatment steps] Place the cocoa pod sample (about 1000 g) with a particle size range of 12-20 mesh (i.e., the sample passes through the 12 mesh with a mesh hole of 1.70 mm, but does not pass through the 20 mesh with a mesh hole of 0.84 mm) that has undergone physical pre-treatment in a stainless steel pot, ignite it and let it smolder, and let it cool for 8-12 hours to obtain granular cocoa pod carbonization as shown in Figure 6.

[Water washing and dissolution treatment steps] About 5 g of cocoa pod carbonized product was weighed and placed in two conical flasks for water washing and dissolution treatment. The sample and 200 mL of deionized water solution were mixed in a conical flask (250 mL), and then the mixed solution was heated at about 75°C for about 20 minutes using a flat heating mixer to dissolve the potassium salt (i.e. ash) contained in the cocoa pod roasted product.

[Rice husk mixed elution step] After cooling the above elution solutions after water washing and elution treatment in a water bath, the solution in the conical flask was filtered out using a vacuum solid-liquid separator to obtain a potassium-containing alkaline solution derived from cocoa pods as shown in Figure 7. The potassium-containing alkaline solutions obtained from the two conical flasks were mixed and the pH value was measured with an acid-base meter (model: 6377MB, JENCO, Taiwan), which showed a pH value between 10-11.

The aforementioned potassium-containing alkaline solution was used as an alkaline extract and then mixed and eluted with rice husks in the following manner. 80 mL of the potassium-containing alkaline solution was taken and mixed with 1 g, 2 g, and 3 g of rice husks, respectively. Another 100 mL of the potassium-containing alkaline solution was taken and mixed with 4 g of rice husks, as shown in Figure 8, for a total of 4 bottles (from left to right, the potassium-containing alkaline solution from cocoa pods was mixed and eluted with 1 g, 2 g, 3 g, and 4 g of rice husks, respectively). Then, a flat plate heating mixer was used to heat the mixed solution at a temperature of about 75°C for about 12 minutes to partially react and dissolve the main acidic mineral silicon dioxide contained in the rice husk to obtain an alkaline solution containing potassium and silicon.

[Drying to precipitate solids] The pH value of the obtained potassium-silicon alkaline solution was measured with an acid-base meter (model: 6377MB, JENCO, Taiwan), which showed a pH value between 9 and 11. The solution was filtered by vacuum filtration (solid-liquid separation) and then placed in an oven at about 105°C and dried for 8-12 hours to precipitate solids, which are organic materials containing potassium and silicon. As shown in Figure 9, from left to right, the solids obtained after the potassium-containing alkaline solution from cocoa pods was mixed and eluted with 1 g, 2 g, 3 g, and 4 g of rice husks.

[Elemental analysis] The surface element distribution of the potassium-containing silicon solid organic material obtained after the drying and precipitation step was analyzed by Energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS) (Model: 7021-H, Horiba Co., Ltd., Japan). The analysis results are shown in Table 6.

[Example]

[Cocoa pod yield after carbonization] Thermogravimetric analysis was performed on the dried cocoa pod samples at a heating rate of 10℃/min. The results are shown in Figure 1. In the temperature range of 230-400℃, as the temperature increases, the cocoa pod samples show obvious weight loss. The weight loss at this stage is mainly due to the thermal degradation of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin components, and the generation of volatile gases. Table 2 shows the yield changes of cocoa pods after carbonization at different roasting temperatures in the aforementioned carbonization process. The results show that the yield will decrease significantly with increasing temperature, indicating that the carbon, oxygen and hydrogen elements contained in the cocoa pods will be released as the reaction intensifies. This result is consistent with the thermogravimetric analysis results (see Figure 1).

[Table 2] Yield of roasted cocoa pods Baking temperature (℃) Yield (wt%) Experiment 1 Experiment 2 average value 270℃ 66.70 71.88 69.29 300℃ 58.17 65.92 62.04 330℃ 52.92 56.24 54.58 360℃ 49.66 51.44 50.55 390℃ 47.16 48.17 47.66

﹝pH value of the filter solution obtained after water washing and dissolution treatment, weight of the solid obtained after drying and precipitation﹞ Table 3 records the pH value of the filter solution obtained after water washing/acid washing and dissolution treatment of cocoa pods, and the weight of the solid obtained after drying and precipitation of the filter solution. Examples 1-5 show that the pH value of the obtained filter solution will increase significantly with the increase of the roasting temperature of the cocoa pods, indicating that the alkaline minerals (elements such as potassium) contained in the cocoa pods will be released as the temperature increases. This may be because the structure of the cocoa pod roasting product is relatively fragile. The pH values of the filter solutions of Examples 6-10 after acid washing and dissolution treatment are all less than 2.0. As for the weight of solid matter in the solution, it decreases slightly with the increase of carbonization baking temperature. This may be due to the decrease of carbonization product yield with the baking temperature.

[Table 3] pH value of the filtered solution of cocoa pods after water washing or acid washing and the weight of the solids precipitated after the solution was dried Cocoa pod roasted products Solution pH Weight of solid matter in solution (g) Washing Pickling Washing Pickling CPH-T-270 8.98 (Example 1) 1.37 (Example 6) 0.106 (Example 1) 0.182 (Example 6) CPH-T-300 9.81 (Example 2) 1.31 (Example 7) 0.088 (Example 2) 0.157 (Example 7) CPH-T-330 10.99 (Example 3) 1.30 (Example 8) 0.088 (Example 3) 0.140 (Example 8) CPH-T-360 11.44 (Example 4) 1.28 (Example 9) 0.082 (Example 4) 0.110 (Example 9) CPH-T-390 11.43 (Example 5) 1.26 (Example 10) 0.083 (Example 5) 0.109 (Example 10) Note: CPH-T-270 refers to the product obtained by roasting cocoa pods at 270℃, and the rest are similar.

[Elemental composition analysis of potassium-containing solid organic materials] Table 4 shows the elemental composition analysis results of the solids obtained after the aforementioned drying and precipitation step (i.e., potassium-containing solid organic materials). The data of Examples 1 and 5 show that the solids obtained in the water washing and dissolution treatment group mainly contain inorganic elements such as potassium, carbon, and oxygen, and are indeed potassium-rich solid organic materials. As for the data of Examples 6 and 10, the solids obtained in the acid washing and dissolution treatment group mainly contain inorganic elements such as potassium, carbon, oxygen, and chlorine, among which the chlorine content is relatively high, which may be due to the residues left by the acid washing step with hydrochloric acid.

[Table 4] Elemental composition of potassium-containing solid organic materials element Percentage of elemental composition in solid product (wt%) Embodiment 1 Embodiment 5 Embodiment 6 Embodiment 10 carbon 23.37 13.57 25.85 18.15 oxygen 32.53 34.46 20.79 23.23 Potassium 43.21 49.15 22.48 24.73 Magnesium -- -- 2.18 2.73 Calcium -- 1.11 1.57 3.36 phosphorus -- -- -- 0.28 chlorine 0.89 0.88 27.00 28.10 Silicon -- 0.49 0.12 -- Note: "--" indicates a concentration lower than the detection concentration of the EDS instrument.

[pH value of the mixed solution obtained by mixing and rinsing with rice husks and the weight of solids precipitated by drying the solution] Table 5 shows the pH value of the potassium-containing silicic alkaline solution obtained by mixing and rinsing with a potassium-containing alkaline solution derived from cocoa pods and rice husks, and the weight of solids precipitated by drying the potassium-containing silicic alkaline solution. The data of Examples 11-14 show that the pH value of the solution decreases from 10.7 (the potassium-containing alkaline solution derived from cocoa pods) to below 10.0 (Examples 11-14), and decreases slightly (from 9.95 to 9.35) as the ratio of rice husk to alkaline extract increases. This change indicates that the acidic minerals (silicon dioxide) contained in the rice husk react and dissolve into the liquid as the acid and alkali intensify. Therefore, the weight of the solid obtained after the solution is dried and precipitated increases slightly as the ratio of rice husk to alkaline washing solution increases. Assuming that the alkaline washing solution contains potassium compounds (K ₂ O, KOH), the reaction can be as follows: SiO ₂ + K ₂ O → K ₂ SiO ₃ SiO ₂ + 2 KOH → K ₂ SiO ₃ + H ₂ O.

[Table 5] pH value of the mixed solution obtained after rice husk mixing and elution and the weight of solids precipitated from the solution after drying Rice husk dosage weight (g) Cocoa pod carbonization product water washing liquid dosage volume (cm ³ ) Solution pH Solid weight in solution (g) 1 (Example 11) 80 9.95 0.340 2 (Example 12) 80 9.58 0.352 3 (Example 13) 80 9.39 0.373 4 (Example 14) 100 9.35 0.457 Note: The pH value of the potassium-containing alkaline solution from cocoa pods is 10.73.

[Analysis of elemental composition of solid organic materials containing potassium and silicon] Table 6 shows the elemental composition of the solids obtained after the aforementioned drying and precipitation step (i.e., solid organic materials containing potassium and silicon). The data of Examples 11 and 13 show that the solid components mainly contain inorganic elements such as potassium, carbon, oxygen, and silicon, and are indeed solid materials rich in potassium and silicon, indicating that some of the acidic minerals (silicon dioxide) contained in the rice husk will precipitate with the acid-base reaction, which significantly increases the silicon content of this material. In contrast, the component analysis of the product obtained by carbonizing only the cocoa pod (Comparative Example 1) shows that there is no silicon element in its components. By comparison, it can be proved that the acidic minerals (silicon dioxide) contained in rice husks are indeed extracted and dissolved by the potassium-containing alkaline solution from cocoa pods.

[Table 6] Elemental composition of Comparative Example 1, and solid elemental composition of Examples 11 and 13 element Percentage of elemental composition in solid product (wt%) Comparison Example 1 Embodiment 11 Embodiment 13 carbon 52.88 21.26 18.82 oxygen 25.80 37.84 32.32 Potassium 19.66 35.43 42.88 Magnesium 1.20 -- -- Calcium 0.46 -- -- chlorine -- 0.64 0.70 Silicon -- 4.82 5.27 Note: "--" indicates a concentration lower than the detection concentration of the EDS instrument.

Since a large amount of cocoa pods and rice husks are produced in China, they are often discarded without proper resource utilization. Based on the principle that cocoa pods are rich in alkaline potassium salt minerals, and that alkaline solution and silicon dioxide in rice husks can react to form water-soluble silicates, these agricultural wastes can be converted into potassium-rich organic materials and potassium-silicon-rich organic materials respectively through the special and novel preparation processes shown in Figures 10 and 11 of the present invention. In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment results show that the potassium-silicon-rich organic material of the present invention has a potassium content and a silicon content that are higher than 30 wt% and 5 wt%, respectively. Through the simple and low-energy preparation process of the present invention, an innovative low-carbon green product that combines biological resources and circular economy can be obtained.

without

[Figure 1] is a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curve of the cocoa pods subjected to the physical pretreatment step in the present invention. [Figure 2] is the product of carbonizing (roasting) the cocoa pods subjected to the physical pretreatment step in the present invention at 270°C, 300°C, 330°C, 360°C and 390°C, respectively. [Figure 3] is the solution obtained after the cocoa pods are subjected to the water washing and dissolution step in the present invention. From left to right in the figure, the cocoa pods subjected to carbonization treatment at 270°C, 300°C, 330°C, 360°C and 390°C are shown. The upper row in the figure is water washing and dissolution using pure water, and the lower row in the figure is water washing and dissolution using dilute acid water. [Figure 4] is the solid material of the cocoa pod after the drying and precipitation step in the present invention. From left to right in the figure, the cocoa pods are carbonized at 270℃, 300℃, 330℃, 360℃ and 390℃, and the water washing and dissolution step is performed using pure water. [Figure 5] is the solid material of the cocoa pod after the drying and precipitation step in the present invention. From left to right in the figure, the cocoa pods are carbonized at 270℃, 300℃, 330℃, 360℃ and 390℃, and the water washing and dissolution step is performed using dilute acid water. [Figure 6] is the granular cocoa pod carbonized material after the carbonization step in the present invention. [Figure 7] is the solution obtained after the water washing and dissolution step of cocoa pods in the present invention. [Figure 8] is the mixed solution obtained by mixing and eluting the solution obtained after the water washing and dissolution step of cocoa pods with 1 g, 2 g, 3 g and 4 g of rice husks respectively. [Figure 9] is the solid obtained after the alkaline solution rich in potassium and silicon from cocoa pods and rice husks in the present invention is dried and precipitated. [Figure 10] is the process flow chart of the present invention for producing potassium-rich organic materials from cocoa pods. [Figure 11] is the process flow chart of the present invention for producing potassium-rich organic materials from cocoa pods and rice husks.

Claims (9)

A method for producing a potassium-rich organic material, characterized by comprising the following steps: A physical pre-treatment step, which is to dry, crush and screen the cocoa pods; A carbonization step, which is to carbonize the cocoa pod product that has undergone the physical pre-treatment step and then cool it; A water washing and dissolving step, which is to add water to the cocoa pod product that has undergone the carbonization step, and then wash and dissolve it at a temperature of 70°C to 90°C to dissolve the potassium salt contained in the cocoa pod product; The first solid-liquid separation step is to cool the dissolution solution of the water washing dissolution step and then perform solid-liquid separation to obtain a potassium-rich alkaline solution; and the drying and precipitation step is to dry the potassium-rich alkaline solution to precipitate a solid potassium-rich organic material. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the carbonization treatment step is performed by calcining, and the calcining temperature is 230°C to 400°C. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the average particle size of the cocoa pods after screening in the physical pre-treatment step is greater than 0.84 mm and less than or equal to 1.70 mm. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the yield of the cocoa pod carbonization product obtained in the carbonization treatment step is 47 wt% to 72 wt%. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the drying temperature in the physical pre-treatment step is 80°C to 120°C. The method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the potassium content of the potassium-rich organic material is 20 wt% to 60 wt%. A method for producing a potassium-rich silicon organic material, characterized by comprising the following steps: A mixing and eluting step, which is to mix the potassium-rich alkaline solution obtained by the method described in claim 1 with rice husks, and then heat the mixture to precipitate silicon dioxide in the rice husks into liquid by eluting the potassium-containing alkaline solution; A second solid-liquid separation step, which is to cool the mixed liquid of the mixing and eluting step, and then perform solid-liquid separation to obtain an alkaline solution rich in potassium and silicon; and A drying and precipitation step, which is to dry the alkaline solution rich in potassium and silicon to precipitate the potassium-rich silicon organic material as a solid. The method as described in claim 7, wherein the potassium content in the potassium-rich silicon-organic material is 30 wt% to 60 wt%. The method as described in claim 7 or 8, wherein the silicon content in the potassium-rich silicon organic material is 3 wt% to 9 wt%.