[Stoves] material processing for briquettes few tips ontechnique

Crispin Pemberton-Pigott crispinpigott at gmail.com
Tue Aug 7 10:44:09 CDT 2012


Kevin that is very perceptive. I favour the 'favourable conditions'
explanation.
Regards
Crispin


+++++++

Dear Andrew

Very interesting possible explanation for why "spent agricultural lime" 
helps with the anaerobic retting process!

While Ca(OH)2, or "Hydrated lime" can have a pH as high as  about 12.5, and
is indeed very caustic, CaCO3 or "Limestone", "agriculture lime, "land
lime", has a pH in the range of about 8, which is not very caustic at all

Is there perhaps another possibility, that being that a marginal change in
alkalinity favours growth of different bacteria?

More specifically, is it perhaps the minor change in pH is "shifting the bug
balance", rather than making local chemistry harsher? In other words, are
the "retting fungus forms" more favoured with slightly higher pH, while the
fungus forms that consume cellulose are repressed?

Best wishes,

Kevin






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