256 replies to this topic

[leosedf]

It's useless to be used for charcoal.

But i'm wondering if it has any use in pyro.

[BrightStar]

Just a quick tip for UK members searching for willow. Wilkinson's have stacks of small willow garden border panels for about £3. I'd guess you get about 1kg of wood to put in your biscuit tin on the bonfire. Haven't yet tried them myself, but it saves lurking on the local river bank 'harvesting'... not that I ever do that of course

Edited by BrightStar, 16 February 2007 - 12:49 PM.

[portfire]

Again for uk members i found this place http://www.englishwi...co.uk/charcoal/

You have to contact them for quantities etc. they'll supply a 2kg drum for £30 plus £9.50 pp/uk. having never bought any, not sure if thats a good or bad price.

update.. i do have a email from my inquiries, if you want to cut the middle man out,drop me a pm

Edited by portfire, 16 February 2007 - 05:47 PM.

[Asteroid]

Sugar in an oven decomposes to water and pure carbon. It's very cheap and yields 6g for 18 of sugar. Unfortuneately it's only really viable if you have an AGA or other oven which Is always on, since it expands and would probably come out of the vent hole and burn in a fire. Also if you open the oven while it's decomposing clouds of steam/smoke are released, I find when it's ready these don't appear. Good Luck.

[TheExplosionist]

Concentrated sulphuric acid will dehydrate sugar into carbon without mess or smoke.

[leosedf]

But what to do with this carbon??

[TheExplosionist]

Read this website thoroughly. It explains pretty much everything. For instance willow is the best wood for charcoal and balsa is 2nd best.
Charcoal site

Edited by TheExplosionist, 07 March 2007 - 02:03 PM.

[fishy1]

Read this website thoroughly. It explains pretty much everything. For instance willow is the best wood for charcoal and balsa is 2nd best.
Charcoal site

You are mistaken. Willow is not the best wood for charcoal. There are many different types of charcoal, and most are good at something. Pine is brilliant for sparks. Beech is good for being hard to crush. Balsa is excellent for fast BP, and for light and fluffy H3. And so on. Willow produces fast BP, but not the fastest. The graph on the web site is not for blackpowder that we use, it is a sulphur rich comp designed for shooting. The web site is interesting though.

[EnigmaticBiker]

Concentrated sulphuric acid will dehydrate sugar into carbon without mess or smoke.

And then you have to get rid of a lot of H2SO4 residue. Risky to try in any sort of mix with any acid contamination at all.

Done in a clean vessel, using heat only (450-600 degC) it should be very pure. However the structure will be totally different to wood charcoal, hence it will behave differently.
I'm curious, as this form of carbon would have been relatively rare at the time when a lot of BP development was done, when I get time I'll do some work on it.

[Asteroid]

Concentrated suplphuric acid is slightly harder to get old and more expensive of than an oven, and IMO a little more dangerous.
It is however, much quicker, and produces an idntical result, just make sure there isnt any left over acid, since ths may affect your BP, or whatever you want charcoal for, particularly if the comp involves chlorates. Also Sulphuric acid can be used outside, unlike most ovens.

Edited by Asteroid, 08 March 2007 - 12:06 PM.

[EnigmaticBiker]

It is however, much quicker, and produces an idntical result, just make sure there isnt any left over acid, since ths may affect your BP, or whatever you want charcoal for, particularly if the comp involves chlorates. Also Sulphuric acid can be used outside, unlike most ovens.

Er, left over acid? It would be very difficult to wash all of it out.

[Asteroid]

Exactly, perhaps mill the charcoul so bubbles are opened, then soak it in a base. Also, iirc it does produce smoke, ie sulphur dioxide and steam. Anyway, thats why I said do it in an oven, easily acessible to anyone here.
The only thing I would wonder about would be do the minerals and other contaminants in wood charcoal make for a better or worse burn. Less impurities would make for a smaller, duller flame, but may also be more efficient.

[Mumbles]

It produces steam yes, but no sulfur dioxide. It doesn't get that got to boil or decompose the sulfuric acid. I've done it several times as chemistry demos and noticed no sulfur fumes.

[EnigmaticBiker]

It produces steam yes, but no sulfur dioxide. It doesn't get that got to boil or decompose the sulfuric acid. I've done it several times as chemistry demos and noticed no sulfur fumes.

I guess the fumes Asteroid mentioned could be acid vapour blown off by steam, not SO2.

[Zinginex]

I may sound very dumb but for pine charcoal do you use the pine cones or the wood from the tree itself? Or does it not matter? Thanks