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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Joe, my apologies - a typo. Instead
of " a world which generates now (probably) 20 million tonnes
annually." that should read 20 <u>billion</u> not million !<br>
<br>
On 08/12/2013 12:33 PM, Joe Barnas wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CANweOnyYUHiVhye-g3G2XaXc5EGaVp6oQ_KyJXpCmfVJoMrhsw@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">DAVID,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Thankyou for the insightful overview of biochar and
comparative functionality of Zeolite, of which I was not
familiar. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>However one thing I am focused on is how to address
catastrophic global climate change and for that having
billions of gardeners sequestering carbon, while building
healthy soil and hence healthy food is not something that
Zeolite can provide. It is another tool in growing food, yes,
but let's not lose sight of the long term benefit of promoting
biochar. I might even try mixing some with biochar just to
gain the N adsorption benefits.</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 2:00 PM, David
Murphy <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:djfmurphy@dodo.com.au" target="_blank">djfmurphy@dodo.com.au</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <br>
<font face="Verdana">Greetings Biochar/Gasifier people !</font><br>
<p class="MsoNormal"><big>Everybody & his dog seems to
have something to say about
charcoal/biochar/biochar-compost mix and so on.<span>
Well, h</span>ere’s another dog to bark his piece !
<br>
</big></p>
<big> </big>
<p class="MsoNormal"><big>Biochar is often seen as the
great agricultural panacea, but </big><big><u>it is
not</u></big><big>.</big><big><span> </span></big><big>Biochar
is a name given to plain ordinary charcoal to indicate
that it is destined for use in soil improvement, but
basically it is still plain ordinary charcoal, just
crushed into smaller particles. </big><big><span> </span></big><big>In
some circumstances it is a very beneficial tool but it
is not magical as some proponents seem to think.
Just remember, all charcoal has a bio-origin - wood. <br>
</big></p>
<big> </big>
<p class="MsoNormal"><big>In some Ag. trials in </big><big>Australia</big><big>
it significantly improved crop volume (treble in one
case) but in other instances, nothing worth writing
home about.</big><big><span> </span></big><big>It
depends on what the soil is like to start with. <br>
</big></p>
<big> </big>
<p class="MsoNormal"><big>Charcoal is stable.</big><big><span>
</span></big><big>That means it does not take part in
any composting system (which is one primarily of
bacterial digestion) and it is indigestible so that
when offered as a dietary supplement (in poultry food
for example) it passes through the digestive system
physically unchanged but will adsorb a high proportion
of the gases and some toxins produced in the process
of digestion, because that is what charcoal does.
For this reason, it's adsorption capability, poultry
will generally do better on a little charcoal. <br>
</big></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><big> Quite a few pages could be
filled on the beneficial services provided by charcoal
as it travels through the digestive system, but it
does it as charcoal only and as nothing else. By all
means use a little in the feed, you can only benefit.
<br>
</big><br>
<big>The only physical way to change the nature of
charcoal is to burn it. That is why it lasts in
soil (or wherever it is) for thousands of years.</big></p>
<big> </big>
<p class="MsoNormal"><big>It has an incredibly high
surface area of 360 m</big><big><sup>2 </sup></big><big>(varies)
and is a mass of minute tunnels which in turn means a
very high volume and gases become trapped in these
tunnels.</big><big><span> </span></big><big>It does
not </big><big><u>ab</u></big><big>sorb, it </big><big><u>ad</u></big><big>sorbs
and traps only.</big><big><span> </span></big><big>The
difference between absorb and adsorb is the same as
the difference in liquids of suspension and solution.</big><big><span>
</span></big><big>Clay particles will be in
suspension, sugar and salt go into solution. <br>
</big></p>
<big> </big>
<p class="MsoNormal"><big>Charcoal is useful in an aerobic
composting system because again of the entrapment of
air in the tunnels.</big><big><span> </span></big><big>A
composting system goes well if there is enough oxygen
bearing air available to the bacteria which are a
significant part of the system.</big><big><span> </span></big><big><span> </span></big><big>The
more air, the higher the population of bacteria (other
factors being OK). </big><big><span> </span></big><big><span> </span></big><big>The
charcoal itself is inoperative, and doesn’t change,
nor is it a catalyst, it simply provides a service.
It will only provide a haven for soil benevolent
bacteria if there is something trapped in the tunnels
which the bacteria can eat. <br>
</big></p>
<big> </big>
<p class="MsoNormal"><big>Charcoal is a good adsorber of
gas and liquid simply because that is what it does.</big><big><span>
</span></big><big>Zeolite on the other hand, can have
an even higher surface are per gram and has a
propensity to entrap gases, most particularly nitrogen
in it’s various forms – as gas – ammonium for example
– and in liquids as a salt of NO</big><big><sub>3 </sub></big><big>.</big><big><span>
</span></big><big>It actually draws them in (like a
magnet attracts ferric objects) where charcoal just
takes it as it comes. It is easy to see also why
charcoal is so effective as a filter, but if you have
a solution rich in nitrogen, run it through Zeolite
and the N will be removed. </big><big>Add some to
the litter in poultry grower sheds, there will be
fewer mortalities because the ammonia which sometimes
will asphixiate small birds will be absorbed.
Zeolite will take N out of solution, charcoal will
not. There's 40 natural forms of Zeolite and more
than another 150 can be synthesised, so choose
carefully for the one most appropriate to your
problem. Zeolite can perform an amazing range of
actions. Once used and applied as fertiliser,
Zeolite subsequently will release the N slowly and
remain in the soil as a balancer of N. Too much, it
will take it in (so that the soil pH is not lowered)
and release it as required.<br>
</big></p>
<big> </big>
<p class="MsoNormal"><big>Charcoal’s great stuff though,
it's easy to make and holds answers to a lot of
problems - but not all !</big></p>
<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"> <big>David
Murphy.</big> </font></span></div>
<br>
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<br>
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<div><br>
</div>
-- <br>
<span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font
face="verdana, sans-serif">Joe Barnas</font></span>
<div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font
face="verdana, sans-serif">Portland, OR</font></span></div>
<div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font
face="verdana, sans-serif">541-525-1665<span></span><span></span></font></span></div>
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