Application of microwave-assisted extraction for the intensification of humic acid isolation from peat

Humic acids (HAs) are components of natural organic matter found in soil and are considered responsible for its fertility. They can be extracted from sources such as peat and lignite on an industrial scale. In order to increase the efficiency and reduce the duration of the alkaline extraction step, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was used in this study. Statistical analysis was implemented to describe the influence of microwave power, temperature, and time on the yield of HA extraction. Experimental points were created on the basis of the matrix, according to the Box-Behnken design. Statistical analysis showed the importance of linear correlations between the process parameters and the response. The last part of the presented study was to create the polynomial model and response surface plots, attached in poster form, which describe the result as a function of parameters of the MAE process.