Thanks so much for the info. The "YOU" was noted. When I went to look for data on coal I spent about 2 hours on google and didn't find anything. I asked a scientist from the University system that works with biofuels and he said he would check. He spent several hours and said he didn't find anything either. While he was looking into coal info he asked the head person with MPCA (MN Pollution Control Agency) if she knew where to look. She spent several hours looking and found nothing either. So I looked for more than another hour and came up with blanks.

Now where I come from, when you hit your head against a brick wall several times and the wall doesn't give then maybe you should think about going around the wall. Now I knew there was somebody out there that would know the answer to my quest and I'd be stupid not to just ask. So THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. It looks like some great leads.

Russ

You are welcome, Russ. You follow all five links and with effort you are likely to find what you need.

Good point that it is what results from the transformation that is of interest. A resource oft overlooked is your local State Technical College.

Or I can loan you mine...http://www.nmt.edu/

State institutions have a charter (and a vested interest) in developing the state's resources and staying ahead of trends that might (for instance) threaten those interests.

Emmett

The bible for coal utilization until perhaps recently is H. H. Lowry's book "Chemistry of Coal Utilization" published in the 1940's by John Wiley and Sons, with supplementary volumes in ~1965 and the 1990's. Should be available in any good technical library such as in a university. I am certain the information you seek is in one of the first 2 volumes as I used that information back in 1973-1976.

When all else is said and done, there are a couple of factors you'll absolutely need to keep in mind.

1) Your biomass analysis is good for that batch of plant material grown in that soil, under those conditions, and can (will) be at least a little different for each growing season and different field. Some plants can selectively uptake chemicals hazardous to human health - wild mustard for example can sequester selenium.

2) Since coal was once plants, it has the same constraints. The exact analysis will differ from mine to mine, and perhaps even within one mine. Batch analysis is fine for what it is, but it does not allow you to make broad sweeping generalizations.

Even getting a rain on the standing dead stalk will greatly influence the outcome of the biomass sample. But a tiger has stripes and a bunny has long ears. How much mercury does a cornstalk plant contain that is grown in southern MN? Thanks for the input -