[Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??

Wed Jan 22 11:42:18 CST 2020

Hi from S. Germany

I have made compacted  "bricks" ( for my TLUD's ) from FRAGMENTED MOSS,GRASS,STRAW,PAPER etc. 
using a thin "Porridge" of OATS and WATER as the binder.
This would most likely work with charcoal and maybe another suitable binder.

Dhan 

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 On Wednesday, January 22, 2020, 5:00:24 AM GMT+1, Carlo Figà Talamanca <carloft at gmail.com> wrote:

 Dear all,despite the very low density of corncob-char, it has a very high fixed carbon content (around 80% according to our lab analysis and charred in our TLUD large scale kilns at around 800-1,000 C.).
At OTAGO in Cambodia we have produced high compressed corncob char-briquettes, which burn over 3 hours, are very strong (they don't brittle when packaged, handled and burnt) and are second in quality only to our coconut shell char-briquettes (better then the wood charcoal residues briquettes). We have done an entire university thesis on corncob charcoal and char-briquettes with a biology engineering student here in Cambodia.
We currently don't produce corncob char-briquettes because the supply of corncobs is seasonal here in Cambodia and therefore we have opted for more secure (non-seasonal) feedstock such as coconut shells. However, if there were places where the supply is abundant and reliable, corncobs make a great feedstock for char-briquettes according to our experience.
Best,Carlo

On Wed, Jan 22, 2020 at 8:03 AM Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <crispinpigott at outlook.com> wrote:

Yes I understand that. Charcoal has very little value as a fertilizer too, but it provides aeration and hold moisture moderating growing conditions.

It also has little value as a fuel because of its low mass and high ash content. It may be that it would fail an ash content maximum in a national standard.

It's main merit is that is already collected and has no other significant use.  When surveying biomass fuel use on Lombok Island I observed a major use of corn cobs to be salt making.
 They burn well in bulk. They tend to char completely and then burn as char. That means there is gas production initially and a hot char fire afterwards. It's a pretty clean burn. They do better with a grate.

Regards
Crispin

From: info at sun24.solar
Sent: January 21, 2020 7:33 PM
To: stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
Reply to: stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??

Hi Crispin,

Cobs have little fertilizer value, especially compared to stover.  I don't know about plowing over, probably depends on the farm.

Kevin

On Tue, Jan 21, 2020 at 7:28 PM Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <crispinpigott at outlook.com> wrote:

Dear Kevin

Are they left to rot in the fields, because that is fertilizer.

Perhaps they are ploughed under. That helps hold moisture.
Crispin

From: info at sun24.solar
Sent: January 21, 2020 7:14 PM
To:
stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
Reply to:
stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??

Here is a
photo essay on South African families collecting and burning maize cobs as cooking fuel.  But I've been emailing off list Abraham Abyslo in Nigeria, a member of this list.  Nobody in his area burns cobs, though maize is grown in abundance.  The cobs are
 left to rot.  It seems to vary by country and area within the country.

On Tue, Jan 21, 2020 at 7:02 PM Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <crispinpigott at outlook.com> wrote:

Dear Neil

You have highlighted th the main two attributes: high burn rate due to a high surface to volume area, and a weak structure.

To make a useful fuel outside the (literally) immediate place isn't production it has to be densified unless there is a use for powdered char.  The reason I mentioned the new Ugandan charcoal standard is because it has a requirement for the production of fines
 when bag is dropped. Charred cobs will never pass such a test.

The reason they have the requirement is that the fines do not burn well. At all.  So selling a bag of charcoal briquettes is going to be cheating the customer if it is 10% fines.

Regards

Crispin

From: neiltm at uwclub.net

Sent: January 21, 2020 5:04 PM

To: stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org

Reply to:
stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org

Subject: Re: [Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??

On 21 Jan 2020 at 8:25, Cookswell Jikos wrote:

> Corn cob charcoal itself is pretty awesome - it burns super fast and

> hot which makes it good for blending with regular charcoal or quick

> cooking of things like tea or rice.

I have burned a few and then burned the char, not exclusively but mixed

in with other 'fines' and generally friable char saved from TLUD and

rocket stoves mostly, and I can identify with the above statement when

comparing my home made char with more substantial commercial 'lumpwood'

charcoal.

I also find that wood that has half rotted, but when dry makes a very

friable char, much as the corn cobs do, and does indeed burn super fast

and hot, lighting exteremely quickly, which is also true of the wood

itself in the TLUD.

With my small cast iron pot bellied BBQ with the addition of my computer

fan 'turbo', I can have a fire to cook on in about a minute from lighting

with a couple of sheets of newspaper under the grate, and with enough

fuel in a single charge, a fire that lasts long enough to cook chicken

pieces - about 40 mins.

I introduced the fan when I experienced inadequate draft because of the

density of the layer of fine char impeding air flow, but apart from

starting the fire, mostly it is not necessary once going, although

sometimes useful in short bursts as another way to vary the heat, and if

I reload during a long cook.

I can appreciate though that this type of char might be difficult to

transport and sell without degredation and would presumably need the sort

of charcoal stove that can burn pellet char which I imagine is more

structurally robust but have no experience of.  But used at source I find

it excellent and easy, and makes for a very controllable heat.

Neil Taylor in England

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