Technical paper on Twin screw extruder processing technology for fibres as raw material for peat substitution

Summary

One important aim of the Organic-PLUS project is to develop resource and energy efficient technologies to produce fibres from lignocellulosic plant materials as a raw material to substitute peat.
For this purpose, Leibniz Institute für Agrartechnik und Bioekonomie (ATB), Germany leads the work in the task 5.3, “Processing of agroforestry and other plant material for improved characteristics”.
This report (Project deliverable D5.3) describes one technology available at pilot scale at ATB which changes the characteristics of plant fibres to make them better suited for peat replacement. The process is called extrusion, and is described in this report. The purpose is to inform stakeholders interested in peat replacement, including scientists involved in the Organic-PLUS project, to collect relevant materials for extrusion and to test further utilisations of extruded fibres.