Some unusual uses of charcoal

[Michaelangelica]

We may have to fight for our share of charcoal for the garden/farm in the future given charcoal's many uses.
But this looks like a win-win solution! Everything Old Is New Again how true!

Everything Old Is New Again: Biomass Burners at Automechanika Frankfurt
17 September 2006
Opelkapitan
The charcoal-fueled Opel Kapitän. Click to enlarge.

by Jack Rosebro

Visitors to one of the 4,500 exhibits at last week’s Automechanika Frankfurt 2006, which is Europe’s largest and best-known automotive service, repair, and aftermarket accessory trade show, were treated to a biomass “blast from the past” in the form of a 1938 6-cylinder, 3.5-liter Opel Kapitän which ran on wood and charcoal almost seventy years ago.

Charcoal burning conversion kits, which are really wood gas generators, enjoyed a brief civilian and military niche market in England, Germany, Australia, the United States, and other countries up to and during World War II. Wood gas generators were used to power taxis in Korea as late as 1970.

A charcoal burner actually burns the gases produced by heated wood. The burner is a two part system: a closed chamber with chunks of wood in it, and a charcoal burner to heat the closed chamber and make the wood generate gases by a process called pyrolysis.

Flammable gases produced by pyrolysis are then routed to a carburetor of sorts, mixed with air, and burned in the engine’s combustion chambers. Once the wood in the closed chamber has produced gases and turned to charcoal, it is transferred to the charcoal burner to heat the next load of wood. Some charcoal-fueled cars were designed to be started on gasoline, and would then be switched to charcoal once the vehicle was underway.

Green Car Congress: Everything Old Is New Again: Biomass Burners at Automechanika Frankfurt


Also eco socks, frig deodorisers, anti-fart pants and pillows the mind boggles

The Flat-D Chair Pad is an activated charcoal cloth pad that is placed on your favorite chair. The user is virtually unaware of its presence because it is thin and comfortable. It is also inconspicuous to others viewing it. The black activated charcoal cloth pad is washable and reusable. When gas is expelled the pad absorbs the odor normally associated with the gassy discharge or fart. This flatulence filter thin cloth pad has high absorption of flatulance odor or flatus. It utilizes the highest grade of activated charcoal available to guard or protect you for your bloating or digestion needs.

Neatorama » Blog Archive » Anti Fart Chair Pad.

I am the American Inventor who has created a product that is revolutionizing the personal hygiene industry around the world. The Flatulence Deodorizer

WHAT a claim to fame! Flatulence Deodorizer ™ products

EDGE Boston :: Gay Boston :: Style :: Fashion

We recently discovered this fabulous material (in the form of nano particles of activated bamboo charcoal) at use in Greenyarn’s Eco-fabric; specifically, their socks.

Yep- Greenyarn discovered that they can increase performance of ’performance’ socks by making them with Eco-fabric, including bamboo. The fabric has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungus properties, it

[Michaelangelica]

A link courtesy of care 2 becomming avery good news site especiall on environment issues.
Specialized Activated Charcoal Is First ... - Care2 News Network

Specialized Activated Charcoal Is First True OTC Fat Absorption Blocker

The world's most versatile and powerful adsorbent now has a new application: oral over-the-counter fat blocker. Carbostat, by Senscina, contains a specialized form of pharmaceutical grade low-dose activated carbon to specifically target dietary fat and block its absorption.

Cincinnati, Ohio (PRWEB) March 20, 2006 -- Activated charcoal has been used for hundreds of years as an adsorbent and purifier. With the recent success of the prescription fat blocker orlistat, it was only a matter of time before the most potent and versatile adsorbent and purifier ever known be refined to a grade and quality that seeks out and specifically targets dietary fat.

Carbostat, Nature's Calorie Filter, has been introduced by Senscina LLC, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Each capsule contains 400mg of activated carbon formulated in what they term a "mesopore matrix", maximizing the carbon's affinity for dietary fats, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and cholesterol. Although the cholesterol reducing properties of activated carbon have been known since the late 1970's, it is only now that the proper grade and refinement has been formulated into a marketable dosage form that is easy to use with a minimum of side effects.

Carbostat begins to block absorption of fat and cholesterol with the first dose. Combined with the proper level of caloric intake and lifestyle modification, I am convinced that most consumers will find Carbostat the catalyst for weight management they find most valuable.
"Using highly mesoporous activated carbon in a very low, specific dose is the key," says Todd McFarland, pharmacist, and creator of Carbostat, "Our formulation maximizes the available mesopore concentration in a pharmaceutical grade activated charcoal. The result is one of the world's purest activated charcoal formulas, with a high degree of preference for the size and solubility of those molecules that contribute the largest amount of calories to the American diet. This puts the ideal natural calorie filter in the right place, at the right time, easily bettering any fat blocker ever marketed, over-the-counter or prescription."

Specialized Activated Charcoal Is First True OTC Fat Absorption Blocker

[Michaelangelica]

A car running on coffee grounds?
I guess it has an inbuilt espresso machine?
That's my type of car!

The Cafe Racer, a 1975 Chevy Pickup, has been converted to run on an onboard gasified motor which can burn most biomass.
The gasified motor works by pyrolizing carbon based fuel, breaking it down into carbon, water vapor, inert gases, and hydrogen, while simultaneously fixing 50%+ of the carbon in the original material. “Think of it this way: if you throw a log in a fire, it burns, and all the carbon goes up and back into the atmosphere,” said Tom Price, Environmental Director of Burning Man.
“But, pyrolize that same log, and you'll get all the hydrogen atoms out, while fixing most of the carbon ones. The result: open source, renewable energy.”

The recent combination of gasification with Terra Preta Bio Char agriculture, the use of soil from the Amazon to reduce carbon emissions, gasification has emerged as the only current alternative energy technology that can create a carbon negative footprint, though little has been done to explore this space.
The Café Racer is expected to set the American land speed record for a gasified vehicle during its exhibition at Cleantech 2007. “We’ll probably use coffee grounds as fuel,” said Tom.

Cleantech 2007 to Feature Alternative Vehicle Display at Santa Clara Convention Center May 23rd

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

A link courtesy of care 2 becomming avery good news site especiall on environment issues.
Specialized Activated Charcoal Is First ... - Care2 News Network

Specialized Activated Charcoal Is First True OTC Fat Absorption Blocker

Michaelangelica, I think while it is true that the activated charcoal would adsorb fats, it would also adsorb a lot of other nutrients (proteins, starches, vitamins, metal ions, etc.) out of your food too. Activated charcoal is given to soak up and deactivate a lot of ingested poisons or gastrointestinal discomforts. I don't think fat is the only culprit. It is this amazing ability, after all, that we tap into when we make terra preta.

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

A car running on coffee grounds?
I guess it has an inbuilt espresso machine?
That's my type of car!

Cleantech 2007 to Feature Alternative Vehicle Display at Santa Clara Convention Center May 23rd

I'd like this car. I have about 5 large Ovaltine cans full of spent coffee grounds at the moment (for use in gardening or soil).

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by maikeru

Michaelangelica, I think while it is true that the activated charcoal would adsorb fats, it would also adsorb a lot of other nutrients (proteins, starches, vitamins, metal ions, etc.) out of your food too. Activated charcoal is given to soak up and deactivate a lot of ingested poisons or gastrointestinal discomforts. I don't think fat is the only culprit. It is this amazing ability, after all, that we tap into when we make terra preta.

Thanks maikeru,
I wondered how the "special" charcoal knows the difference between good and bad (LDL-HDL -cholesterol always get them mixed up). I have high 'bad' cholesterol too but, because I like a drink, my doc. does not want me on statins. I might have to find a herbal replacement.
I had a section of my bowel removed last year with a cancer. My tummy is just not right (Wasn't before the op. either gas,IBS etc)
That's why the Doc suggested charcoal tablets
Me, the TP nut,ironic isn't it?

I feel as if I have a full time TP promotional job at the moment. the web is approaching aTP "Critical Mass." So much stuff happening since the IAI Conference . Even more I bet when they get the Conference web papers up.
I wish someone would pay me!

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by maikeru

I'd like this car. I have about 5 large Ovaltine cans full of spent coffee grounds at the moment (for use in gardening or soil).

Sounds too good to be true doesn't it?

I just want the pyrolysis unit to run in my back yard!
This is a post made by my friend sweetpea in the Permaculture Forums.
I'm sure she wont mind me reposting her interesting comments on Coffee Grounds here

PostPosted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:56 pm Post subject: Reply with quote
Baz, interesting! At first I thought, nawwww, how could coffee grounds be big enough to have that aDsorption property? Then I looked it up, and interestingly enough, they are looking into how coffee ground work with ammonia, i.e. pee with nitrogen, and they are very effective, which when applied to the circumstances in the soil, would be quite impressive!

JOS : Vol. 55 (2006) , No. 1 31-35

and here's a straight comparison with the coffee grounds and their micropores seem to be more effective!

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/conten...00002/art05601

Here's one on their ability to filter heavy metals from water:

Coffee and Caffeine > New Grounds for Drinking Coffee


Very interesting! Thanks for the info!

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Thanks maikeru,
I wondered how the "special" charcoal knows the difference between good and bad (LDL-HDL -cholesterol always get them mixed up). I have high 'bad' cholesterol too but, because I like a drink, my doc. does not want me on statins. I might have to find a herbal replacement.
I had a section of my bowel removed last year with a cancer. My tummy is just not right (Wasn't before the op. either gas,IBS etc)
That's why the Doc suggested charcoal tablets
Me, the TP nut,ironic isn't it?

I'm not sure either. Perhaps through a difference in preparation of the activated charcoal by changing micropore sizes or organic chemicals that might remain in the charcoal, and therefore influence its adsorption properties? Just guessing. Don't take my word for it. I'm not an expert in charcoal manufacturing or chemistry.

I'm sorry to hear about the high cholesterol and bowel problems. Health problems are always a hard thing to deal with. I've read that having a small to moderate amount of drink boosts "good" HDL cholesterol and lowers "bad" LDL cholesterol. And some people overproduce cholesterol. My grandmother, my father's mother, had a heart attack several years ago, and part of the reason, it seems, was because her liver overproduces cholesterol, although she's also quite inactive by nature and habits. She spends a lot of time sitting and writing genealogical histories of our family (this is a cultural/religious thing among Mormons). Following her doctor's advice, she's gone on a tofu and soy diet, which seems to have helped. She hasn't had another heart attack since then. Other things you can take a look at are some forms of exercise, as tissue growth and repair, like that from jogging, cycling, or weight training, would encourage the conversion of that extra cholesterol into sex hormones like testosterone and take it out of your system. Also, exercise would strengthen your immune system and make cancer less likely. I recommended this to my father after he became overweight and got skin cancer about 2 years ago. (Too much exposure to the desert sun here, like that of Australia, I'd imagine. I've heard Australia has high skin cancer rates. Utah too.) He seems to have his problems under control, although he hates exercising.

I feel as if I have a full time TP promotional job at the moment. the web is approaching aTP "Critical Mass." So much stuff happening since the IAI Conference . Even more I bet when they get the Conference web papers up.
I wish someone would pay me!

It's a great blessing that people are taking notice. My neighbors still think I'm a weirdo, seeing me outside filling up terrariums with black soil (more terra preta), but we must persevere. One of my friends in Tokyo mentioned to me in a recent email that the Japanese have long known of the benefits of charcoal. I've been preaching about terra preta to him, but I probably shouldn't, seeing as how some of the sci articles we've seen in this forum are from Japan! I've also been writing to my friends in Europe about terra preta as well, whether they're interested or not. It's important to keep up the missionary effort, my friend. I consider it more worthy than that of a "higher cause" for there is no cause so important as the preservation of life, all life there is.

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Sounds too good to be true doesn't it?

I just want the pyrolysis unit to run in my back yard!
This is a post made by my friend sweetpea in the Permaculture Forums.
I'm sure she wont mind me reposting her interesting comments on Coffee Grounds here

Almost! Thanks for the links. Interesting articles there. Coffee's not the only plant juice that can chelate metal ions, btw. Green and black teas, blueberry and cranberry juices, etc., basically anything rich in certain organic acids or polyphenols like tannins often has the same ability.

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

I have high 'bad' cholesterol too but, because I like a drink, my doc. does not want me on statins. I might have to find a herbal replacement.
I had a section of my bowel removed last year with a cancer. My tummy is just not right (Wasn't before the op. either gas,IBS etc)
That's why the Doc suggested charcoal tablets
Me, the TP nut,ironic isn't it?

I've got IBS as well so I went to my local herb shop to get so activated charcoal pills (ACP). As I was checking out (I got some apple cider vinegar tablets and acidopholus as well), the cashier asked me if I knew about the products, "You know about this stuff right?". Just before I could respond he said, "Like, you know you're not suppossed to take the charcoal over a long period of time, right?". So I walked away feeling a little puzzled.
Once back at work, I looked up ACPs and sure enough, I found this:

Charcoal should not be given for more than three or four days for treatment of diarrhea. Continuing for longer periods may interfere with normal nutrition.

Charcoal, activated

This makes sense seeing as the ACPs are indiscriminate upon adsorbtion (I think). It goes along with what Maikeru said above.

So here's a few q's:
* @Michael: What was your Dr.'s advice for ACP use? Is it long term or short term?
* How can ACPs be useful for treating gas if you can only take them for a few days? Is the theory that it wipes out all the built up junk inside that causes gas? If so, then what kind of maintenance schedule would be needed? What is safe?
* If the ACPs adsorb everything indiscriminately, then why do they say to take it with meals?