<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Dear Crispin,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The equipment is quite different. Testing biomass (what i am thinking needed for classification) is most all physical testing (perhaps) with some simple chemical tests that we all can do. What I am thinking we MUST do is all very simple tests but will take some time to determine what each separate classification fraction has on combustion in a stove. Perhaps measured by emissions or task. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">IMO the Classification Tool below has only two components of any importance and the other two should not even be considered. 1) the carbon storage value and the 4) the particle size distribution is important. The 2) fertilizers value and the 3) liming not important - with comment.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Comment: Biochar lasts and works for us for a thousand years. Fertilizer and liming is only for Day One. The liming is only important if a lot is applied (like in a potting mix) and fertilizer value the same or if the char has been fortified with fertilizer. In most cases the fertilizer will be very low and the liming will be taken care of soon as when the char is mixed into the receiving soil. So if you have a soil with a high pH and you want to add biochar that has high liming - go ahead and add it. Deal with the high pH (add sulfur and gypsum and acidifying fertilizers or compost and organic fertilizers) and let the char help you for the next thousand years. If you have a char that has been fortified with fertilizer you no longer have a char you can test. You have a fertilizer it must be tested according to USDA procedures (in the US) and that requires good lab equipment. IMO char can only be tested before it is added to anything. Once its added you cannot get the Carbon Storage value because that is based on the carbon structure of the char and that determined by the H/C ratio. Adding other materials having hydrogen and carbon means the results no longer ‘reads’ the carbon structure in the char only. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The carbon storage value is a difficult test in that it takes a CHN analyzer that is expensive and difficult to work and maintain. The particle size is important but I would suggest re-designing the procedure. We want to determine the size range it will be in when applying to the field. Char breaks easily. So I would suggest a procedure like what is used to determine ‘hardness’ (wrong word) for pellets then measure the size distribution after the soft stuff breaks into dust (like after shipping). There is not much I like about the read below. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Regards</div><div class="">Frank</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""><div apple-content-edited="true" class="">
Frank Shields<br class=""><a href="mailto:franke@cruzio.com" class="">franke@cruzio.com</a><br class=""><br class="">
</div>
<br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Jun 3, 2015, at 12:08 AM, Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <<a href="mailto:crispinpigott@outlook.com" class="">crispinpigott@outlook.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif;" class="">Dear Frank</span></div><div style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">Is the equipment setup and analysis methods for testing biomass essentially the same as for biochar? Here is a message from the IBI on methods :</div><div style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class="">The </span><a track="true" target="_blank" href="http://ibi.memberclicks.net/message2/link/20f0e689-f8fe-4c09-96ab-515c0db92436/1" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;" class=""><em class="">IBI Biochar Classification Tool</em></a><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class="">—derived from the paper </span><em style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class="">A Biochar Classification System and Associated Test Methods</em><sup style="font-family: verdana, geneva;" class="">1</sup><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class="">—classifies four biochar properties: 1) carbon storage value, 2) fertilizer value (Phosphorous, Potassium, Sulfur, and Magnesium only), 3) liming value, and 4) particle size distribution. In addition, the tool provides the fertilizer grade for six plant nutrients (Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), Sulfur (S), Calcium (Ca), and Magnesium (Mg)). To classify a biochar with the tool, users must have laboratory-measured values of: hydrogen to organic carbon ratio (H/C</span><sub style="font-family: verdana, geneva;" class="">org</sub><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class="">) and organic carbon concentrations (C</span><sub style="font-family: verdana, geneva;" class="">org</sub><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class="">); plant-available levels of P, K, S, and Mg; calcium carbonate equivalent (% Calcium carbonate (CaCO</span><sub style="font-family: verdana, geneva;" class="">3</sub><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class="">)-eq); and particle size distribution. To provide the fertilizer grade, users must have laboratory-measured values of total and plant-available levels of N, P, K, S, Ca, and Mg. </span></div><div style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class="">Thanks</span></div><div style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class="">Crispin </span></div><div style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;" class="">_______________________________________________</span><br style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;" class="">Stoves mailing list</span><br style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><br style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;" class="">to Send a Message to the list, use the email address</span><br style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><a href="mailto:stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org" style="font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org</a><br style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><br style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;" class="">to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page</span><br style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><a href="http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org" style="font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org</a><br style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><br style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;" class="">for more Biomass Cooking Stoves, News and Information see our web site:</span><br style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38); font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><a href="http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/" style="font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/</a></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></body></html>