[Terrapreta] sucrose VM

[Michael J. Antal, Jr.]

As I mentioned in a previous message, the VM content cellulose is about 90%
but it does not dissolve in terpentine.  Similarly the VM content of sucrose
(table sugar) is about 80% (I haven't measured it recently so this is an
approximate value).  Sucrose fully dissolves in water but not terpentine.
Cellulose doesn't dissolve in water.  Is there a solvent for VM?  No!

VM content is a measure of the propensity of a solid to decompose in a
pyrolytic environment.  The VM is a product of the decomposition.  It is not
present in the material prior to pyrolysis.  There is virtually no sucrose
in the VM of sucrose!  There are no short cuts.  If you want to know the VM
content of a solid, you must do a proximate analysis according to the ASTM
procedure that I shared with the list some weeks ago.

Regards, Michael.
  -----Original Message-----
  From: Sean K. Barry [mailto:sean.barry at juno.com]
  Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 6:33 PM
  To: Tom Miles; 'terrapreta'; Michael J. Antal, Jr.
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Agrichar trialled in field at Wollongbar


  Hi again, Michael,

  What about the VM contained in charcoal  Is there any solvent for that?
Isn't the VM content of pyrolyzed cellulose biomass much lower than 90%?

  SKB
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