Neil
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Drying charcoal
I'm trying to back track the chemistry of several failed bloomery attempts and need a way to accurately measure the dry mass of the charcoal to figure
out how much of it's mass was moisture.
The charcoal I have been using is from Royal oak. There is data on the water absorption of coconut charcoal as well as bamboo charcoal but I am unable
to find data on oak charcoal. Specifically I do not know how hard charcoal hangs on to absorbed water vapour.
Does anyone know if a regular desiccator would work?
Not having the capacity to calcine the charcoal in an oxygen free environment, I wondered if soaking it in anhydrous ethanol followed by vacuum
distillation would be plausible?
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zoombafu
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You could use a desiccator, or a vacuum desiccator if you have one. If not leaving it sit out in a well ventilated area should work
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BromicAcid
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It's amazing how much water is in most commercial charcoal, even purchased from a chemical supply house some can be >10% water. Vacuum and heat do
the trick but it might take awhile in the dessicator as the water can be somewhat bound.
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Neil
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Thank you Bromic, I'll try that.
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m1tanker78
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Neil, if you have access to a welder or a beefy power supply, I've successfully dried smallish quantities of charcoal using 2 cinder blocks configured
as a makeshift arc furnace. Plenty of clicks and pops as the trapped gases and moisture escape rather dramatically.
You could also fill a metal can/drum about 1/4 way with red hot embers and throw the fresh charcoal on top. A loose-fitting lid is necessary and some
type of insulation around the bottom is recommended. I personally use sand for insulation. Moisture and VOCs escape without burning the carbon if you
get it right.
Tank
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