[Terrapreta] Electrical conductivity of charcoal + 08 wishes

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Geoff,

Are you doing "proximate analysis" tests of the charcoal produced in your "biscuit tin" pyrolysis experiments?

#6 Experiment with Limelight (1850 to1910) driven by woodgas mini generators.

That's an interesting experiment.  Wood gas and coal gas were both initially used to fir gas lights, circa 1850-1910.  Both these gases are forms of "synthesis gas" or "producer gas"; mostly in declining relative amounts, N2 (in "producer gas"), CO, H2, CO2, H2O, CH4, O2, and trace others, etc.  Depending on how the source fuel of was oxidized during pyrolysis, the consistency and amount of the gases would vary.

Regards,

SKB

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: geoff moxham<mailto:teraniageoff at gmail.com> 
  To: Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 10:03 PM
  Subject: [Terrapreta] Electrical conductivity of charcoal + 08 wishes


  Hi list,

  I have been charring in 44 gal drums for  a while now, to supply the
  garden, the orchard and the Midge stoves that keep evolving. So I have
  a need for both agricultural and cooking charcoal.

  I use mainly forest red gum, but a few drums have been mixed  rainforest spp.
  plus whats lying around including bamboo (bambusa), lantana, and scrap meranti.

  Playing with the midge one day I was measuring the current drain of
  the computer fan motor (50mA!) and calculating how long it would run
  on a car battery continuously (about 1.5y?) when der... carbon
  conducts...lets look at that  biscuit tin full of mixed rainforest
  charcoal...

  3 hours later I was on the net finding a bamboo charcoal pillow
  maufacturer with his prods stuck in his pillow showing 0 Ohms....just
  what I found....the site said good charcoal conducts...yet the blue
  gum has very high resistance (megohm range), and blue gum bark off the
  scale resistance. All of the lantana conducts, all of the bambusa,
  some of the others...all from the same batch....aaak!

  I then searched this site for electrical conductivity of charcoal and
  found nothing.

  Anybody out there gone there?

  I am now designing a series of closed (the hundredth monkey biscuit
  tin) pyrolysis tests on each species including toona australis and
  camphor spp. for conductivity tests.
  And that will have to be x3, using kiln temps of 400, 600 and 800 C.
  in the space heater...great visual access and fume cupboard for the
  experimenter.
  seeya
  geoff

  PS
   wishlist for 2008
  #1 finish 1 cu.metre AlOx kiln with durablanket, and fire large loads
  with long **soaks**, optimising for microporosity.
  #2 Do another Garnaut Review submission or 2 (Thanks folks)
  #3 Carbon date some local midden charcoal ...anyone help there?
  #4 Pyrolise Dr Keith Boltons hurds, after separating from the bast in
  this years agricultural hemp trials through SCU.
  #5 Experiment with gunpowder
  #6 Experiment with Limelight (1850 to1910) driven by woodgas mini generators.

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