RAL-DETOX is a 100% natural zeolite-based additive used for the daily control of free ammonia in biogas plants. It is essentially a highly effective form of zeolite that continuously removes ammonia (NH₃/NH₄⁺) through ion exchange. If your plant requires ongoing ammonia management (as opposed to occasional interventions), RAL-DETOX is designed to be a routine additive that keeps ammonia levels in check on a day-to-day basis.
In function, it is similar to METHO-DETOX but optimised for constant use: think of RAL-DETOX as a “maintenance dose” approach to ammonia control. By incorporating RAL-DETOX into your daily feeding regimen, you ensure that ammonia produced from protein degradation is immediately captured, preventing accumulation and protecting your methanogenic archaea from inhibition. This results in a more stable process, even with high-N feedstocks.
Continuous Ammonia Removal: RAL-DETOX continuously removes ammonia nitrogen (NH₃/NH₄⁺) via ion exchange as the digester operates. This keeps the free ammonia concentration low, preventing inhibitory effects and maintaining optimal pH balance.
Highly Effective Zeolite Formula: The product is a high-purity, highly effective zeolite form, meaning it has an exceptional capacity for ammonium uptake. You get a lot of ammonia binding per unit of product, making it efficient in use.
Daily Use for Steady State: Designed for daily dosing, it integrates easily into the routine, ensuring there are no peaks in ammonia – the system remains at steady-state. This is particularly beneficial for digesters with consistently high protein input; RAL-DETOX acts like a constant filter for ammonia in the background.
Enhances Biogas Consistency: By avoiding ammonia-induced slowdowns, RAL-DETOX contributes to consistent biogas production rates. Operators will notice less fluctuation in gas output when feeding nitrogenous substrates.
Simple and Natural: Being a natural mineral , RAL-DETOX adds nothing harmful to the process – it’s chemically inert to the biology aside from its target action, and it leaves behind only captured ammonium which exits with the digestate. It’s an easy, non-toxic solution to a common problem.
RAL-DETOX works through the principle of ion exchange using zeolite. Zeolites have a crystalline structure full of tiny pores and channels, lined with negatively charged sites. These sites attract positively charged ions (cations) like ammonium (NH₄⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), potassium (K⁺), etc. In RAL-DETOX’s case, the zeolite is loaded primarily with certain benign cations. When introduced into the digestate:
The zeolite captures ammonium ions from the liquid, trading them with one of its own cations. Essentially, ammonium sticks to the zeolite and a less inhibitory ion is released.
By removing NH₄⁺ from solution, the equilibrium between NH₄⁺ and NH₃ shifts, causing more NH₃ (which is the dissolved gas form of ammonia) to convert into NH₄⁺. Over time, this pulls gaseous ammonia out of the digester liquid and binds it onto the solid zeolite.
The ammonia that’s now on the zeolite is effectively taken out of play; it won’t harm microbes or contribute to pH rise.
Each tiny particle of RAL-DETOX can bind a significant amount of ammonia relative to its weight, due to the high internal surface area of zeolite. As the digester contents circulate, RAL-DETOX disperses and constantly mops up ammonia as it’s produced from protein breakdown.
Since RAL-DETOX is a daily additive, fresh zeolite is always being added, and the spent zeolite (loaded with ammonium) exits with the digestate effluent. This creates a continuous turnover: new zeolite in, old zeolite out, thereby continuously removing ammonia from the system at a rate roughly matching its production. The result is that ammonia levels remain low and stable, preventing the conditions that lead to inhibition.
RAL-DETOX is added daily, typically alongside your feed or into the recirculation, similar to how you would add a mineral supplement:
Solid Feed Addition: Sprinkle the measured daily dose of RAL-DETOX onto the feedstocks in your hopper or mixer. It will mix with the substrates and enter the digester.
Slurry/Fluid Addition: It can also be added into a liquid stream. For example, mixing it with some digestate and pumping it back in, or adding into a feeding slurry. As long as it gets into the digester, it will do its job.
Automated Dosing: If preferred, an auger or feeder could be used to dose RAL-DETOX from a silo or big bag on a timed schedule.
The specific dosage for RAL-DETOX is tailored to each plant’s ammonia generation rate. As an illustration, some operators dose around 1–2% of feed dry matter as zeolite. If you feed 20 tons per day of substrate at 25% dry matter (5 tons of DM), 1% of that DM is 50 kg of zeolite per day. This is just a hypothetical example.
RAL-DETOX is used in moderate daily quantities that your Realistic Agri advisor will advise on. They might suggest, for example, a certain number of kg per day based on plant size (like “for a 500 kW plant digesting mostly manure, add 5 kg per day”).
Because RAL-DETOX is pure zeolite, overdosing isn’t likely to harm the system (it’s basically like adding sand), except it’s an inert load. So, from an application standpoint, it’s forgiving – better a bit more than too little if unsure, until you find the sweet spot that keeps ammonia down.
Since RAL-DETOX comes in 25 kg bags, you might end up using one bag every few days or week depending on dose. Many operations might find it convenient to dose one bag spread over X number of days.
Monitor your TAN and free ammonia levels in the digestate periodically. If ammonia begins to climb, that’s a sign to increase the daily dose; if ammonia is consistently low, you might test slightly reducing the dose to save costs, as long as levels remain safe.
RAL-DETOX is supplied in 25 kg biodegradable bags. The product is a granular powder form of zeolite.
Storage: Store the bags in a dry environment to avoid the zeolite adsorbing moisture or caking. Pallets of RAL-DETOX should be kept under cover, and because it’s relatively dense (zeolite minerals), ensure your storage racking can handle the weight of multiple pallets.
Handling: Each 25 kg bag can be manually handled by one person, though it’s a bit heavy – use proper lifting technique or a partner if needed. When opening bags, do so near where you will dose it to avoid having to carry open bags (to prevent spillage). Pouring the material might release some dust; wearing a dust mask and gloves is recommended for comfort. The material is not chemically dangerous – it’s like a mineral earth – but dust can irritate respiratory pathways if inhaled in large amounts.
If you are using a mechanical feeder or hopper for dosing, you might empty multiple bags into that hopper. In that case, consider that zeolite can be abrasive – equipment in contact should be robust. Also, the biodegradable aspect of the bag suggests you could add the bag directly, but since 25 kg is a lot, it may be easier to add more gradually.
Once added to the digester, the zeolite will settle in the digestate over time and flow out with the effluent. It’s environmentally benign – in fact, spent digestate with zeolite might have improved qualities as fertiliser (zeolite can hold ammonium in soil release). But that’s a side note; mainly, no special handling of the digestate is needed because of RAL-DETOX.
Tools: Use a scoop or measuring container if you want precise daily amounts smaller than a full bag. Keep those tools dry and clean to avoid buildup. If partial bags are left, fold the top and seal it (maybe tape it shut) to keep humidity out until the next use.
For plants dealing with chronic ammonia levels, RAL-DETOX offers a compelling ROI:
Stabilising Throughput: You can feed more nitrogen-rich waste (which often comes with tipping fees or lower cost) without risking ammonia inhibition. This means more income from waste processing and/or more biogas from cheap feed, which directly improves profit margins.
Insurance for Consistent Power: By avoiding the dips in performance that ammonia can cause, RAL-DETOX ensures steady biogas generation and power output. Consistent output is valuable if you have power purchase agreements or bio-methane injection targets to meet; it avoids penalties or missed revenue due to underperformance.
Protects Biological Investments: If you’ve invested in good microbial inoculum or spent time cultivating a robust digestion process, a spike in ammonia can wipe that out (leading to re-inoculation costs or months of recovery). RAL-DETOX protects that biological integrity, which is hard to put a direct number on, but any experienced operator knows the cost of a “crash.” Avoiding a crash is often worth whatever it takes, and here it’s just some zeolite each day.
Economical Material: Zeolite is not very expensive per tonne, especially compared to chemicals. The fact that RAL-DETOX is just high-quality zeolite means it’s a cost-effective medium to apply regularly. The cost per kg of ammonia removed is quite low compared to, say, acids or other chemical treatments (some plants dose acid to control ammonia, which is hazardous and can disturb alkalinity – zeolite is safer and likely cheaper in use).
Digestate Quality Benefit: As a fringe benefit, the ammonium captured by RAL-DETOX isn’t lost; it stays in the digestate but in a less volatile form. When that digestate is land-applied, the zeolite slowly releases ammonium to crops, potentially increasing the fertiliser value of the digestate. While this may not directly impact the AD’s economics, it could make your digestate more desirable or valuable to end users (farmers), indirectly supporting your business model (e.g., farmers might be willing to take digestate for free or even pay if it’s proven to be a better slow-release fertiliser).
Turnkey Solution: RAL-DETOX requires no capital expense (no new reactors, no blowers, etc.), just the operational expense of the material. That means immediate implementation and payback. The first dose starts working right away, potentially improving your gas yields within days if ammonia was the limiting factor. The ROI can thus be realised in the very short term, especially for a plant that was underperforming due to ammonia – the jump in performance once inhibition is lifted can be dramatic.
Overall, RAL-DETOX offers peace of mind and smoother operation, which in the business of biogas, often translates to better profitability. It’s a relatively small investment for a potentially large return in stable production.