[Terrapreta] Char hydration

[David Yarrow]

my first suspect for you "unwettable" char is your feedstock.  eucalyptus is 
not native in the northeast US, but i did grow a few small trees in pots a 
few years ago, and i knowa bit about its history of introduction in the 
southwest & southeast.

i recall the leaves had a waxy quality, indicating the produces a surplus of 
oily hydrocarbons similar to many evergreens.  i recall, too, these waxy 
resins created severe fire hazard when the trees died from extreme drought. 
methinks mayhaps these characteristics of eucalyptus may contribute 
significantly to its wettability as char.

did all your char particles float?  or were some fully submerged?

for a green & peaceful planet,
David Yarrow
44 Gilligan Rd, E Greenbush, NY 12061
www.championtrees.org
www.OnondagaLakePeaceFestival.org
www.farmandfood.org
www.SeaAgri.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "MFH" <mfh01 at bigpond.net.au>
To: "'Kurt Treutlein'" <rukurt at westnet.com.au>
Cc: <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 7:11 AM
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Char hydration


>I wonder if there is any relationship between "wettability" and the
> temperature of the charring process.  The test samples came from a batch
> that was processed at temps will in excess of the recommended 600C.
>
> Maybe higher temps produce small pore sizes?
>
> Max
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
> [mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Kurt Treutlein
> Sent: Tuesday, 3 June 2008 8:24 PM
> Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Char hydration
>
> MFH wrote:
>> You're doing better than me. I've had char in buckets for 3 weeks with
> added
>> urea, wee, cow poo and detergent.
>>
>> There has been some water uptake by the char in the bucket with the soap,
>> but all the other remains floating like tennis balls.
>>
>> Source was dry and dense eucalypt.
>>
>> M
>>
> Interesting! Last year when I made charcoal from bamboo I had it in foam
> vegeboxes, on the back lawn. They got rained on there and seemed to get
> wet with no problems. I don't remember any floating on top of the water
> that collected in the boxes.
>
> Kurt
>
>
>
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