Wood ash : concrete

In this video you will learn how to make concrete from wood ash in a SHTF scenario.
#lotusOperations #shtf #survival

LotusOperations 2021*

[CalThompson-ojkk]

Cool video. A couple problems could have led to the weak result. First, you didn't strain out the contaminants. Those will break down smaller and weaken your bonds. Second, you didn't dry the ash balls. They went into the fire way too wet. Let them dry for a night, and then roast them for a while to get rid of the remaining moisture before fully heating them. Third, you didn't get the balls hot enough to complete the chemical reaction. This was probably a combination of the moisture and heating in a pot that kept the temp too low. If the balls are dry, you can just put them directly on the coals. Fourth, you didn't fully slake them. They should create an exothermic reaction and boil the water when you dissolve them.

[johnmurray]

I think the issue you're having is they aren't firing hot enough, the only discernable difference I've seen that may be occurring between your videos and others is they got their pellets orange-hot in direct fire, your pellets may not be reaching the same temperature inside the pot and so not achieving the internal chemical changes all the way. Also this video is not clickbait, it's extremely educational to see honest attempts not give the desired results - as this is what 99% of us making our attempts are going end up with on our first attempts as well, so no need to be rude in the comments people. Somebodies gotta upload stuff about self reliance, the more the better.

[killgazmotron]

Ash is so useful. No one would think it but there are so many applications. You can use it in the production of black powder, you can use it to make soap, concrete,
and you can use it too make pottery glaze, just to name a few.

[mnhusin]

well wood ash mainly contain calcium carbonate, you fire it and become quick lime basically and water it become slaked lime and it pretty ordinary binder before cement

[deanreynolds]

This gives me something to experiment with. I wanna make a cabin in the woods and i want to do an actual foundation

[gavinhodge]

That concrete towards the end looked like and had all the strength of a stale biscuit

[youungrandpop]

Ok campers lets burn 40 minutes of propane for a couple little balls of concrete

[evanortwine]

I'm making my own with a little help from home Depot. Without the heat. Only for a 16 by 20 floor to survive the winter. I amazed by how durable clay is.

[tiara]

And how about adding a but of limestone?
An alternative source of limestone is seashells.
Bake the seashells until they crumble and then add that to your wood ash.
Also using sea water helps too. A little Roman technology there.

[THStRuXsTiCk]

Say "welcome back" or call me a "camper" One more damn time...

[evanortwine]

That first one is good slag. Sky is the limit from there .

[evanortwine]

I'm using some seriously strong clay and throwing quick Crete on top mixing a little sand and dirt on to p. I live in the swamp land, hope this works. I threw quick Crete on top to try to strengthen and dry it better

[tttm]

Thanks for adding in the word on sulphur. Totally forgot about that...

[MaineMotman]

Ash lime. The water hydrating is a slaking process. Calcinating, i believe is the actual process of cooking your medium in the kiln. Fired clay ground with the sand is a natural pozzalan. Limeworkers in the uk will slake lime for 1-3 months - finished is called a limeputty over there. I want to do tests with ash lime and the Comercial hydrated lime for works with white wash coatings on adobe, cobb, and wattle and daub. -i'm spit balling off the top of my head, i did a deep dive research into lime for ike a week and i may be a little rusty on my facts. But it is very much possible. The ash cakes take a fraction of the time limestone takes to cook (cooking might be the process [calcinating] maybe.... anys you basically cooking off the hydrogen EDIT: - (I'm wrong, its cooking off the Co2) molecule i believe, and when you add water to the calcium oxide it starts to convert to calcium hydroxide. Wood ash contains the natural earth metals potassium sodium magnesium and calcium. Again, I'm rusty, and some things might be a little wrong, but for flavor for this video. 🫶. More videos!

[xeviocane]

OK guys things are about to collapse a lot worse than they already are if you want to learn how to survive you need to subscribe. I cannot teach you everything but I can teach you the basics that will give you the upper advantage

[Kyle-sgrm]

Maybe if you first remove the Potassium/Sodium carbonate from the ashes, the result will be better?

Also, when making the 'clinker' from the ash putty/playdough substance, results could be better if you can heat it much hotter (like commercial clinker).

And some plants, grasses in particular, have higher amounts of Silica and Alumina than other plants - so grasses (including Sorghum, etc) may be a better starting material. What your aiming for is a form of Calcium aluminosilicate.

Extracting more pure Silica and Alumina from ashes using Sodium hydroxide, is another potential option. Like making 'water-glass'. Then filter out Calcium carbonate, etc, from the solution and precipitate Silica as Silicic acid by adding Acetic acid. Filter and set aside Silicic acid. You would then have Sodium acetate and Aluminium acetate in the remaining liquid. Dry this and then heat it to drive off Acetone, leaving Sodium oxide and Aluminium oxide. Add water (Sodium oxide becomes Sodium hydroxide) and filter out the insoluble Aluminium oxide.
You should then have somewhat pure, Silica and Alumina, extracted from plant ashes. Add some Calcium (ideally Calcium hydroxide) and make into balls/bricks and heat to a high temperature to make clinker. Cool. Crush into powder and use as you would portland cement. It should be able to set underwater.
By preparing it that way - you can control the ratio of Silica, Alumina and Lime, which could yield better cement with better properties.

With this in mind, certain plants might already have a Silica, Alumina, Lime ratio, which is closer to what you what. Higher Silica and Alumina and Lower Calcium. Most plants are mostly Calcium in their mineral ratio... So it would take a bit of research, trial and error.
Good fun!

[evanortwine]

I'm curious what the heat is doing?

[TemplarX]

You didn't heat your ash balls probably. Use bricks to surround it as bricks retains temperature better.

[kevinbear]

why would it matter what kind of wood doesnt it all turn into calcium?

[correctpolitically]

The next question is what if all you have is pine ? Vast tracts of land are covered in only pine because of reforestation efforts and the lumber industry. The real trick is to figure out how to make the pine work.