Burning carbon to give energy?

[AScienceStudent]

Hi all

 

I was wondering if we could burn carbon soot and get energy out of it. I learnt that burning hydrocarbons with insufficient oxygen produces carbon monoxide and carbon soot. Incomplete combustion.

 

What is it in hydrocarbons that make them give out so much energy when we burn it? Is carbon the answer?

 

 

Thank you

[Mr Skeptic]

Yes, you can burn carbon of any type to get energy. The best way to burn soot is in the flame it came from. If the conditions are right, a flame will produce little soot, instead burning it right in the flame.

 

The energy in hydrocarbons is due to both its hydrogen and carbon content.

[AScienceStudent]

Thanks for your reply Mr Skeptic.

 

Does that mean if a spoon of carbon soot is collected then I could burn it with a bunsen burner to give out heat and light?

 

Thanks again

Edited November 13, 2008 by AScienceStudent

[YT2095]

 

What is it in hydrocarbons that make them give out so much energy when we burn it?

 

simply put, the energy comes from the difference between the bonds broken and the bonds made in the reaction we call fire.

[Mr Skeptic]

Thanks for your reply Mr Skeptic.

 

Does that mean if a spoon of carbon soot is collected then I could burn it with a bunsen burner to give out heat and light?

 

Thanks again

 

Yes, it will burn just like coal, since it is basically the same stuff. However, it might be difficult to light through a spoon, I don't know.

[dirtyamerica]

I work in a coal fired power plant. When the boilers are tuned up and running as efficient as possible the left over slag will not burn. It is completely combusted.

 

Perhaps any other places that yeild unspent carbon ash would be to inefficient to further convert to energy.

[CaptainPanic]

I work in a coal fired power plant. When the boilers are tuned up and running as efficient as possible the left over slag will not burn. It is completely combusted.

 

Perhaps any other places that yeild unspent carbon ash would be to inefficient to further convert to energy.

 

Carbon will burn. If you have pure carbon in a powder form, it will burn.

 

Sometimes you get a powder that also contains carbon (and other things), and it will not born. Why not?

Simple: the triangle for creating fire: heat, fuel, oxygen.

Oxygen and fuel (the carbon) are present, but the carbon concentration is so small that if it burns, it cannot heat up the rest of the material to keep burning. So, there is not enough heat. Slag is such a material that does contain some carbon, but really not enough to sustain a fire. It contains all kinds of other minerals that are already oxidized (metal oxides and other stuff).

[dirtyamerica]

I'm going to veer off topic a second..hehe

I like the concept of the fire tetrahedron: heat, fuel, oxygen and a chem rxn.

 

You need all four for combustion.

 

 

I agree with your comment about the slag, Captain. Surely there is some carbon left. I can't assume comeplete and total combustion of the coal has happened but what is left over as slag, fly ash, etc. is far from flammable.