Miyagismokes
Well-Known Member
What do you charge with?
Biochar
- Thread starter natureboygrower
- Start date
bobrown14
Well-Known Member
I've made bio char the low tech way. Use hardwood charcoal and grill dinner. When done pour the ashes and the unburnt charcoal in a pile on the ground. Repeat... after the winter time its ready to add to soil. Low tech but it works.
The wood ash is a very good source of Ca and carbon as well as many other nutrients. Combo that with some granite dust and some compost. Soil and a garden will be a thing.
The wood ash is a very good source of Ca and carbon as well as many other nutrients. Combo that with some granite dust and some compost. Soil and a garden will be a thing.
Banana444
Well-Known Member
Could activated carbon from an old carbon filter be used as a substitute for biochar? Im searching to see if i can find the difference. Im not nessecarilly looking for a substitute for biochar, i mean i can easily harvest some from my burn pile, but if i could also reuse the carbon from my filters that would be great too.
INF Flux
Well-Known Member
it is (activated biochar) aka carbon, aka charcoal. The bacteria in a cycled fish tank are great for what we're after, as far as colonizing the carbon and developing a saturated thing. Use that shit. (literally and I hate when people say "literally" to add emphasis)
elephantSea
Well-Known Member
This is interesting. I've never thought about this. But just to clarify, you're saying that with an old, not so good working carbon filter, you can run water through it a few times, shake it, etc, let it dry, and the filter will work well again? Cause that's great if so.
INF Flux
Well-Known Member
If you heat it in a grill or whatever, a lot of the more volatile compounds it's captured will boil off, at this point you could consider it to be fresh. Be careful with temps, maybe look up the burn temp for charcoal and stay below, or just make a very small fire/heatsource.
simpleleaf
Well-Known Member
I would think it should be wrapped up in foil or something to keep air out while it heats.
INF Flux
Well-Known Member
Thinking about it, carbon filters have to be one of the biggest ripoffs in Canna ag. Not to say that they don't work, they work great, but $200 for something I can put together with$30 of stuff from home derpot and 20 minutes of my time? The pricing is problematic for me.
INF Flux
Well-Known Member
No, you want the gasses to escape, do it in a cookie sheet. Just don't ignite
Miyagismokes
Well-Known Member
You want gasses to escape, but you also want to minimize oxygen exposure, or you're just burning away carbon into carbon dioxide.
OPfarmer
Well-Known Member
Activated carbon can be biochar that has been treated with calcium chloride, washed and baked.
I can't see why fish tank filter would not make fine charged biochar.
I do know biochar does not work as a activated carbon filter. I made a home made filter, need to activate my carbon with some calcuim cloride.
I can't see why fish tank filter would not make fine charged biochar.
I do know biochar does not work as a activated carbon filter. I made a home made filter, need to activate my carbon with some calcuim cloride.
simpleleaf
Well-Known Member
What kind of ratio would be used for the calcium chloride to water or to charcoal?
INF Flux
Well-Known Member
yes, why I was saying low temps are important. The oxygen exposure you are referring to is why the can inside a barrel style biochar burners work. The material is exposed to the heat from the fire in the outside barrel but lacks oxygen to ignite, causing it to off gas and become charcoal. The important thing is to not ignite.
In a canister filter for a room, and I admit I'm talking out my ass on this one, but whats it capturing? Terpenes with high volatility? I'd think just heating it enough for those to off gas would be adequate to refresh the material.
My experience is more with aquaponic fish filters and making biochar, but I'd think this would work to get the stinky's out?
INF Flux
Well-Known Member
and there we go
bobrown14
Well-Known Member
I just take my filters to the bathtub and run hot water thru them, set the filter outside in the sun and let it dry out. Good as new.
bobrown14
Well-Known Member
How activated charcoal works as a filter. Works in water for fish tanks ect and in air to clean:
Adsorption.
I think the temps to make activated charcoal are upwards of 600C and higher even with chemical activation. Its a lot of work to make at home.
A little google:
"
How Can Activated Charcoal Be Recharged?
Whether or not you can or should recharge activated charcoal depends on its purpose. It's possible to extend the life of an activated charcoal sponge by cutting or sanding off the outer surface to expose the interior, which might not have fully lost its ability to filter media. Also, you can heat activated charcoal beads to 200 C for 30 minutes. This will degrade the organic matter in the charcoal, which can then be rinsed away, but it won't remove heavy metals."
Adsorption.
I think the temps to make activated charcoal are upwards of 600C and higher even with chemical activation. Its a lot of work to make at home.
A little google:
"
How Can Activated Charcoal Be Recharged?
Whether or not you can or should recharge activated charcoal depends on its purpose. It's possible to extend the life of an activated charcoal sponge by cutting or sanding off the outer surface to expose the interior, which might not have fully lost its ability to filter media. Also, you can heat activated charcoal beads to 200 C for 30 minutes. This will degrade the organic matter in the charcoal, which can then be rinsed away, but it won't remove heavy metals."