[Terrapreta] Strong warning against "simple" charcoal kilns

[Mary Lehmann]

The oxidation of carbon compounds (combustion or burning) is exactly  
what gives off CO2 plus H2O, i.e. what happens when we eat food.   
Food is our fuel whose shortage will, as predicted, hit us most  
powerfully.  It is one reason to keep going on biochar.   It can  
mitigate the hardships ahead.  Interestingly, a good number of people  
have yet to decide whether mitigation is worth it.  The rest of us  
should become knowledgeable about function and scale of equipment  
that works --recycles the by-products of charring too, and then see  
where to set up operating charring and report.  As I said, I believe  
there is a lot of risk investment money available for existing  
successful operations.

ML
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On Apr 28, 2008, at 8:49 AM, Sean K. Barry wrote:

> Hi Kurt,
>
> You're right , I'm wrong.  Thanks for correcting me.  The term  
> "reduction" in chemistry means "removal of oxygen" and is as you  
> describe endothermic.  "Combustion" is the correct term for the  
> combination of Carbon monoxide-CO with Oxygen-O2 to make Carbon  
> dioxide-CO2 and the combination of Hydrogen gas-H2 with Oxygen-O2  
> to make H2O.  Both liberate energy (are exothermic).
>
> 2CO + O2 => CO2 + heat
>
> 2H2 + O2 => H2O + heat
>
> I'm humbled to admit that in my sleepy state last night I tripped  
> up on the terminology.
>
> Nonetheless, CO and H2 burn before the CH4 and CO and H2 are 10  
> times more prevalent in "producer gas" than is CH4.
>
> Regards,
>
> SKB
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Kurt Treutlein
> To: terrapreta
> Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 6:34 AM
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Strong warning against "simple" charcoal  
> kilns
>
> Sean K. Barry wrote:
> >  Hi Kurt,
> >
> >  I  "Open-air" reduction of H2 and CO in the "producer gas" will use
> >  as much as 5 times the amount of oxygen as the CH4 will BEFORE the
> >  CH4 will reduce.
>
> It seems you still need to be taught basic chemistry. It is not
> "reduction" of H2 and CO and CH4 that uses O2. The process is called
> oxidation. In other words combustion. Which is exothermic by the way.
>
> Reduction uses hot carbon and would involve a re-action between Carbon
> and H20 and CO2, resulting in the formation of H2 and CO.
> And this process is endothermic, ie it absorbs heat.
>
> But then you're probably getting tired and befuddled with all the
> formulae that you're typing up.
>
> Have a good sleep now and perhaps tomorrow you'll wake up all  
> refreshed
> and clear of thought.
>
> regards,
>
> Kurt
>
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