[Terrapreta] Abstract on Charcoal in soil

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Kevin,

"The carbon in most biomass is in the carbohydrate or hydrocarbon form, "

I don't think that is correct.

Carbohydrates are the most abundant biological molecules.  n(C + H2O) => (CH2O)n, n>=3 is the general molecular structure of sugars, cellulose, starch, lignin, etc.  Once living, but dead and decomposed organic molecules provide the carbon and hydrogen atoms, which are the two primary constituents of hydrocarbons.  Pure hydrocarbons are just hydrogen and carbon in chains of HCH bonded together at the carbon atoms; methane (CH4),  ethane (C2H6) are pure hydrocarbons (alkanes).  The general formula is C(n)H(2*n+2).  They DO NOT contain oxygen (or they would be classified as more closely as carbohydrates).  Sometimes (impure hydrocarbons) have nitrogen (N) or sulfer (S) atoms.  Living biomass does not hydrocarbons; even oils which are fatty acids (which are not like pure liquid hydrocarbon oils) and they do have some oxygen atoms in the structures.

SKB

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Kevin Chisholm<mailto:kchisholm at ca.inter.net> 
  To: Randy Black<mailto:rblack at hillcity.k12.sd.us> 
  Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 2:52 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Abstract on Charcoal in soil


  Dear Randy

  Randy Black wrote:
  > 
  > Kevin, 
  > 
  > All forms of carbon are the same!

  Regrettably, I have to be contrarian again!! ;-) Consider, as three 
  extreme examples, diamond, graphite, and lampblack... do you know of any 
  "bugs" that can eat them?

  Consider two much closer examples... cellulose and starch. They have the 
  same chemical formula, yet, as Dr. Karve notes, you get 1/2 the biogas 
  from Cellulose as you get from Starch.

  The carbon in most biomass is in the carbohydrate or hydrocarbon form, 
  and is in a form that various life forms can "sink their teeth" into it. 
  It has a nutritive value, and it is worthwhile for them to attack it. I 
  don't know of any biological process that can react with diamond, 
  graphite, or lampblack, or charcoal, and build its carbon into a biomass 
  system. From my limited knowledge, it seems to me that carbon must have 
  another element tied to it chemically before biological life forms are 
  able to consume it.

  Best wishes,

  Kevin

    Carbon is an element and if you burn
  > off all the impurities in any organic material you get carbon. This is
  > why partial biochar is so important to Terra Preta. The partial biochar
  > does have many differences based on its parent material. Pine needle
  > biochar can actually lower the ph in soil where pine wood biochar
  > increases it. This is due to the acidic oils that are present in pine
  > needles but not in pine wood. So when you say "It would appear that all
  > forms of carbon are considered as equal, when this is not necessarily
  > the case. Indeed , it is likely that carbohydrate carbon, cellulostic
  > carbon, and charcoal carbon serve very different functions.", it is
  > different if you are talking about carbon or talking about partial
  > biochar.
  > 
  > Also the physical structure of the char will be different depending on
  > parent material. Wood has a lot of pores due to the cell structure
  > inherent in the wood but I have not seen anything on the cell structure
  > of say grass, leaves, or any organic material. I have also noticed the
  > difference is cell structure of my charcoal when I use dry fresh wood
  > versus rotten older wood. The rotten older wood breaks down much easier
  > and seems to hare larger pores.
  > 
  > Randy Black


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