[Stoves] Char

[Kevin]

Dear Frank

Observations from first hand testing trump intuition and speculation. :-)

Kevin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frank Shields" <frank at compostlab.com>
To: "'Discussion of biomass cooking stoves'" 
<stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 4:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Char


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> _SUMMARY_
>
> Dear Tom, Paul, Jeff, Ron and Stovers,
>
> The observations I made were of bagasse added to compost - not your 
> typical
> compost made of all natural products. Typical compost will have very 
> little
> oils and lipids, water soluble sugars and a lot of cellulose, lignin etc. 
> I
> think bagasse will be listed as water soluble sugars but haven't done 
> tests
> to determine.
>
> Observation 1)
> There was definitely a hard crust at the container bottom and burnt sugar
> smell in the 55 deg samples. The samples were put into a 55 deg. chamber 
> so
> did not go through the temperature profile typical of composting. There is
> also sugar added to the composting feedstock blend.
>
> Observation 2)
> The box was loaded with formulated feedstock and cups and plates made of
> bagasse added. It went through a natural, normal temperature cycle and
> reached 70 deg. in a few days and stayed there for a couple weeks using 
> one
> of the 'high heat' compost formulas we have. They did not biodegrade. 
> Using
> lower temperature mixes we have they did biodegrade. We have seen this 
> many
> times so not a one time observation.
>
> As to the reason I don't know. But I find this interesting and put it on 
> my
> list of future projects to look into. Will it occur at 55 deg without the
> microbes from the compost(?). Are there small pockets of higher heat from
> chemical reaction during composting that char the cups(?). Will 
> temperatures
> of the cups alone at 55 deg and 70deg reduce the availability of the
> carbon(?).
>
> I don't think this can be called fixed or resident or recalcitrant carbon
> expected to last 1000 years (but don't know).
>
> Just interesting observation
>
> Frank
>
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> Frank Shields
> Control Laboratories, Inc.
> 42 Hangar Way
> Watsonville, CA  95076
> (831) 724-5422 tel
> (831) 724-3188 fax
> frank at compostlab.com
> www.compostlab.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
> [mailto:stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Tom Miles
> Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2011 12:14 PM
> To: 'Discussion of biomass cooking stoves'
> Subject: Re: [Stoves] Char
>
> Frank,
>
> Is there any benefit to the composting to char or heat part of the bagasse
> first?
>
> Tom
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
> [mailto:stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Frank 
> Shields
> Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2011 11:53 AM
> To: 'Discussion of biomass cooking stoves'
> Subject: [Stoves] Char
>
>
> Stover's,
>
> Perhaps of interest, we test products for the Biodegradable Products
> Institute and some are made from bagasse. When composted at low 
> temperatures
> < 45 deg C these products break down easily. But when composting
> temperatures go to 70 deg C the bagasse chars and they remain as the same
> structure (only darker) as the product we put in the compost. Proof that
> charring is resistant to biodegradation.
>
>
> Frank
>
>
>
>
>
> Frank Shields
> Control Laboratories, Inc.
> 42 Hangar Way
> Watsonville, CA  95076
> (831) 724-5422 tel
> (831) 724-3188 fax
> frank at compostlab.com
> www.compostlab.com
>
>
>
>
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