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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Dear Kevin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Everyone knows they burn well. I think corn cobs in Africa are used as fuel in co-firing manner. I doubt anyone burns them to get rid of “the problem”. It is also good fertilizer. It is possible
(though I have no experience of it) that they are used as a toilet paper substitute in the same manner as they were in N America not that many decades ago.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">I like the idea of charcoaling them after sizing to perhaps 40mm long, which can be accomplished with very simple tooling.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">There is a new Ugandan charcoal fuel standard and unfortunately corn cob char would not meet the requirements for strength. It would have to be crushed then briquetted. It is likely that the passing
of similar standards in other countries will similarly require “transportable” or “tradable” fuel. As it emerges, a charred cob is not very strong.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Regards<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Crispin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> Stoves <stoves-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>K McLean<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 21, 2020 10:07<br>
<b>To:</b> Discussion of biomass cooking stoves <stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Hi Teddy,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Where do your customers collect their cobs? As Christa points out, smallholders usually burn their cobs themselves. Commercial maize farms are successful in Kenya, though. Do commercial farmers leave the
cobs in the field as waste - as I have read?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">There is a factory in Eldoret that uses cobs to produce chemicals. Bio-Corn appears to be closing down, though. It consumed 60,000 tonnes of cobs per year. I have contacted Bio-Corn to determine its sources
of cobs. My guess is that its sources are commercial farms. This is from an <a href="https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.standardmedia.co.ke%2Fbusiness%2Farticle%2F2001251825%2Fcompany-to-make-chemicals-from-maize-cobs&data=02%7C01%7C%7C7be4162569ba465b835308d79e83e5e7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637152161665846805&sdata=zfBFDZRI5oTCuQqdOaZUIlgVzTnr3OcBR7Rv2p8WyjU%3D&reserved=0">article</a>
announcing the opening of the factory:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">"[T]he factory is expected to be a major boost to maize farmers who can now earn from the cobs, which often end up as waste or domestic fuel."</span></i></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Sun24 is looking at more efficient ways to burn cobs. Your Cookswell KCJ (Kenya Ceramic Jiko) would work well. <span class="gmaildefault"> Smallholders already burning cobs can increase efficiency by burning
them in charcoal jikos like the KCJ.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Maize cobs may be an underutilized<span class="gmaildefault"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">, renewable</span></span> cooking fuel source.<span class="gmaildefault"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> And a source for char.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Kevin<o:p></o:p></p>
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