256 replies to this topic

[BrightStar]

A slightly silly question - Is anyone else considering charcoaling their Christmas tree for some nice resinous sparks?

Do I include the fronds and needles? Any tips?

[Sambo]

I had the same idea the tree i have is weeping resin everywhere so should make some good charcoal, I think i'll just charcoal the trunk and some of the larger branches and leave the needles.

Sam

[Mumbles]

Most of the branches on our are too thin really. I would just take a pair of hedge trimmers and lop off everything I can, including the thinner branches, and the needles off the thicker ones. What's left should be able to be easily split and charcoaled.

[MDH]

You can make black powder out of the resin. Not kidding you.

And it works well.

Edited by MDH, 09 January 2008 - 10:08 AM.

[Mumbles]

Might be true, but it wouldn't be cellulose derived, and probably much more similar to lampblack instead of normal charcoal.

[MDH]

Yes. I think some of the notes taken from older documents state that you want trees rich with benzoils and organic oxidizers of various sorts. Ones rich in flammable volatiles obviously...

I think they used resin primarily for gas intensive BP -- for firing bullets from rifles that were meant to travel a large distance - relying on building pressure building in the barrel.

[psiborg]

Hi, I don't know if anyone remembers me, I needed help convincing my mother of the safety of the hobby. Anyway, I made some willow charcoal today, It looks good, but I want to know the ash content, because it's my first try. Anybody know how I can get a rough estimate?

EDIT: I also was considering charcoaling my christmas tree.

Edited by psiborg, 27 January 2008 - 10:32 PM.

[Arthur Brown]

Tenney L Davis's COPAE will give you a lab method (P48 in my edition) BUT the lab tools required may be beyond some people. Realistically is there any need to analyse charcoal accurately.

[psiborg]

I just want to refine my charcoaling technique, really.

Edited by psiborg, 27 January 2008 - 11:21 PM.

[cooperman435]

I really dont think more than putting it in an air tight tin and firing it till it stops generating smoke is more than neccecery for our needs? I know there can be more effort put into it than that but its a bit excessive?

Edited by cooperman435, 28 January 2008 - 01:45 AM.

[seymour]

Weigh a sample, direct a flame onto it 'till it glows red, and wait 'till it has all burned. Then weigh the ash. Unless you have some very fancy scales I suggest your sample not be too small.

Alternatively just do what everyone is saying and use your charcoal as is. Ash content is far from the only factor that produces fast BP charcoal anyway.

[psiborg]

I'm just a bit of a perfectionist, I suppose.

[Arthur Brown]

Expecting an ash content in the order of 1% you would have to take a sample about 100g and weigh to 5 figures at constant weight (humidity) then burn without loss and look for say 1.000g of ash.

I certainly wouldn't want the job!

[Mumbles]

Oh, 1% is a total low ball. From what I have heard GOOD charcoal is on the order of 4-6%, with commercial hardwood in the vicinity of 10-12%

The way I have always seen to do it is to grind the sample, and digest it with dilute nitric acid. After that is done, filter(this is why dilute acid it used), and evaporate the acid on a hot plate. The ash will be left over as a solid residue. Getting the mass from the dissolved liquid is way more accurate than drying and weighing thecharcoal, which would have major proceedural losses.

[Arthur Brown]

An analysis clipped from COPAE P43

BP analysis
Potassium nitrate 74.430
Potassium sulfate 0.133
Sulfur 10.093
Carbon 12.398
Charcoal 14.286
Moisture 1.058

the charcoal in there being analysed as
Carbon 12.398
Hydrogen 0.401
oxygen 1.272
Ash 0.215

Therefore ash is 1.505%of the charcoal

I suspect that Davis could determine to three decimal places, I also suspect that some amateur enthusiasts do not have that facility! Yes Davis does spell Sulphur with an f!