The research methodology is developed for hydro-mechanical properties of fuel made of peat and modified hydrophobic additives. Hydrophobization is applied with the purpose to extend storable life of peat product and to reduce long-distance transportation loss. Hydrophobic films are obtained using silicon compounds. The latter interact with carbon dioxide in air and generate alkyl polysiloxane layers as a result. Hydrophobic silicon surfaces of films make stable bonds with the surfaces having various chemical compositions. High stability of such covers is indicative of the chemical bonding between organyl-siloxane film and hydrophilic surface. The polyalkyl siloxane film envelopes all particles contacting water-proofing solutions and ties them together, which strengthens material The mechanism of water saturation by peat is conditioned by the nonuniform structure of peat: on the one hand, water is saturated by plant remains—dispersion of high polymers of cellulosic nature; on the other hand, water is soaked by degradation products—humic substances and their salts. Both phenomena take place at the early stage of the process concurrently with the third effect when water fills pore space of interlacement structures and microvolumes of supermolecular assemblies of degradation products and carbohydrate complex components. Water absorption by dry peat is connected with adsorption of water molecules at active centers, formation of poly-adsorbed water volume and with intensive water soaking owing to capillary phenomena. Adsorption of water molecules violates direction interaction between structural elements through functional groups and ions, while formation of mosaic water films on micro-heterogeneous sites weakens inter-molecular interaction as wedging pressure arises between interlayers. At the beginning of water adsorption, binding of water molecules by active groups is observed in more oriented macro-molecules of cellulose and compact aggregates of degradation products. The analysis shows that water absorption maximum is governed by the degree of peat degradation and, as a rule, decreases in proportion to the increase in the peat degradation rate.

Keywords

Peat, fuel, properties, hydrophobization, water repellency, sorption, concentration, water absorption, swelling.