[Stoves] Carbonite

[The Bootstrapper]

From: William Hatcher
Thought I would see if there was anything on "Carbonite" in old books and found that there were several products called "Carbonite" mentioned in these old volumes.  Here's one....

Excerpt from Google Book Search:

Report - Page 127 by Rutgers University College of Agriculture - 1893

http://books.google.com/books?id=lCtJAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA127&dq=carbonite+charcoal&lr=&as_brr=1&ei=X_nqR4-UEYLQiQHkqui7Dg


Thesis

FUELS.
By Vreeland Tompkins

Page 127

Carbonite, a patent fuel now on the market, consists of charcoal dust, saltpeter, and a cohesive ingredient. It is made into cubical cakes of 1 1/2 inches diameter, weighing 65 grams.

The substance is black, porous and brittle. It burns readily, the cakes keeping their shape to the last, when the ash remaining can easily be powdered by the fingers. This fuel does not clinker.

A quantitative analysis gave the following results:
Moisture ...................................................8.04
Volatile Carbon .........................................8.00
Fixed Carbon ..........................................72.54
Sodium Nitrate ..........................................5.00
Ash ..........................................................6.42
Total Carbon ...........................................80.54


Then I tested the carbonite in the apparatus shown, burning it and collecting the gases given off. A is a U-tube containing soda-lime and calcium chloride; B, combustion tube, containing the carbonite C in a platinum boat. D contains H2 SO4, E, KOH, G, H2 S04. H is filled with water, and air-tight, to which is attached the siphon S. The fuel was heated in B by a Bunsen burner; the carbonic acid gas and water given off were absorbed by D, E and G. The gases not absorbed pass into H through the tube T, forcing the water out through N.


The carbonite was entirely burned by the time H was filled with gas, when I disconnected it, keeping it air-tight. I separated the oxygen from the gas by pyrogallic acid, in a simple absorption pipette, and tested for carbon monoxide as directed in Hemple's gas analysis. The test did not show the presence of CO. Thus showing that carbonite, when properly burned, will give forth no injurious gases. This fuel is used for drying the walls of newly-built houses, on account of the CO2 it gives up on burning.

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> Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:20:46 -0400
> From: jeff0124 at velocity.net
> To: stoves at listserv.repp.org
> Subject: [Stoves] Carbonite
>
> Dear All,
>
>
> Being a student of the history, art and science of the portable suction
> gas generator has provided many insightful moments. One item of interest
> is a fuel called Carbonite. My understanding is that Carbonite was
> produced from charcoal and the residue from the production of the charcoal
> hence tar and other nasty by products.
>
> It was claimed to be efficient because of using most of the products of
> charcoal production. If I recall correctly one ton of wood produced 700
> pounds of rich Carbonite. I’m sure that the wood was not kiln dried so 20%
> MC might be a best-case scenario. So let’s take:
> 2000 lbs * .20 = 400 lbs of water
> 2000 – 400 = 1600 lbs of fibrous
> 700 / 1600 = 44 % Carbonite by weight
>
> In addition to being a rich fuel it could also be stored under water
> because of the tar being impervious to water. Furthermore the tar was also
> the binder. The SG was over one !!!!!!!
>
> I can not help but think that this would make a wonderful Fireball, the
> sphere needs the least amount of surface energy and has a low angle of
> repose matched with Carbonite it should make be a winner.
>
> The portable suction gas generator needs a low ash fuel in order to avoid
> slagging but a cook stove doesn’t need to operate at these temperatures.
> Because the slagging isn’t a problem I do not see why something like
> switchgrass/straw could not be used as the feed stock for the Carbonite.
> Although the tar is of a lighter species it would be worth a try. I hope
> someday to be able to see if this theory would work.
>
> One day my gasifier did malfunction (rat hole) and produced some
> collectable tar. I did soak some paper Fireballs in this tar but never had
> the time to see how they would burn in Tom’s TLUD. As a mater of fact I
> still have some orange peels from over a years ago that I never had the
> time to test. Not to mention two bags of ground rice husks that I need to
> make into Fireballs, also two three years ago, but lack the time to do.
>
> I'm not sure of the spelling so when I get home tonight I'll look it up.
>
>
>
> Best regards,
>
>
> Jeff
>
>
>
>
> --
> Jeff Davis
>
> Some where 20 miles south of Lake Erie, USA
>
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