Re: compression of coal

Arthur V. Chadwick (chadwicka@swac.edu)
Thu, 23 Jan 1997 15:39:49 -0800

Glenn writes:

>Art ...too may be wrong.

Yes, but then that is the glory of this form of communication, isn't it!
Nobody will remember too long....

>I don't know if Tripalmitin is a carbohydrate, but it is entirely made of
>carbon, oxygen and hydrogen and is a product of plant physiology and would be
>incorporated into any modern coals.

Tripalmitin is (CH2)n. That's the stuff that makes you rich!

>Applying these values to the 200 m Russian coal seam we need between 1140 m
>and 1332 m of plant material.

I'm not going to dispute those figures.

Glenn cites Stokes:
Only
>about 10 per cent of the tru[n]k [of lepidodendron, etc.]was actually woody
tissue; it was therefore not as sturdy as most living trees.

That is certainly true. But 100 per cent of the trunk was plant tissue, and
that probably means 30% dry weight carbohydrate or so (cell sap is 80-90%
water).
Art
http://chadwicka.swau.edu