[Terrapreta] Terrapreta Digest, Vol 10, Issue 28

[geoff moxham]

On 16/11/2007, terrapreta-request at bioenergylists.org
<terrapreta-request at bioenergylists.org> wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. Pyrolysis in WWII Holzbrenner Volkswagens
>       (Green Waste Recycle Yard)
>    2. Re: charcoal degradation - uncertainties about its half life
>       (Andrew Zimmerman)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:27:54 -0800
> From: "Green Waste Recycle Yard" <info at GreenWasteRecycleYard.com>
> Subject: [Terrapreta] Pyrolysis in WWII Holzbrenner Volkswagens
> To: <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
> Message-ID:
> 	<000001c827c6$008c1f10$6f7ba8c0 at professionaltreecare.local>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
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> http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/archive/index.php/o-t--t-238539--.html
>
> These basically ran on the gas produced from a wood pyrolysis system. Might
> be interesting to find some of these engines/designs, and see if they can be
> adapted as a small plant for biochar/energy production.
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:01:20 -0500
> From: Andrew Zimmerman <azimmer at ufl.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] charcoal degradation - uncertainties about
> 	its half life
> To: mariska evelein <mariska_evelein at hotmail.com>,
> 	<terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
> Message-ID: <200711152003.lAFK3e7v4100096 at smtp.ufl.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
> Mariska - It is generally assumed that charcoal (black carbon) is not
> very biodegradable because of its chemical composition (highly
> aromatic, with relatively little nitrogen, etc) and simply because it
> remains in the soil for long periods of time.  However, recent work
> (papers attached) has shown that microbes can indeed respire and
> abiotic reactions can breakdown this material to at least some
> extent, especially when more labile organic matter is also added (so
> called 'priming' effect).  In fact, my laboratory has found the same
> and is currently working on defining the properties of biochar and
> its remineralization rates better.  -AZ
>
>
> At 01:21 PM 11/15/2007, mariska evelein wrote:
> >Hello List
> >
> >A problem I stumbled across today is the half life of charcoal in
> >the environment.
> >
> >No one seems to have rigorous scientific proof that charcoal is
> >inert, but we are all assuming it is.
> >
> >According to the attached peer reviewed article (new directions in
> >black carbon organic geochemistry, masiello, 2004) there are some
> >serious gaps in how much black carbon is produced yearly and how
> >much of it we find in the environment, suggesting there is either a
> >problem with our scientific experiments, or there are other
> >processes that cause a black carbon loss that we haven't found out
> >about yet. Even a thousand year life span can't explain the carbon
> quantities.
> >
> >Does the fact that we find charcoal in our ancient soils mean that
> >this represents all the charcoal that was produced at that time? How
> >do we know that we are not only finding a fraction of what was once there?
> >
> >I would really like to believe that most the charcoal we put in our
> >soils will stay there indefinately, but am struggling to do so until
> >I find some peer reviewed evidence that proofs this.
> >
> >Can anybody provide me with this?
> >
> >Mariska
> >
> >
> >
> >----------
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> ___________________________________________
> Andrew R. Zimmerman, PhD
>
> Assistant Professor
> Department of Geological Sciences
> 241 Williamson Hall
> P.O. Box 112120
> University of Florida
> Gainesville, FL 32611
> Office: (352) 392-0070
> Fax: (352) 392-9294
> azimmer at ufl.edu
> www.clas.ufl.edu/users/azimmer/index.html
>
> "The state of disequilibrium is one from which, in principle at
> least, it should be possible to extract some energy...."
>                          -J.E. Lovelock, Gaia
>
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> End of Terrapreta Digest, Vol 10, Issue 28
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