Hanns, The amount of liquid in the coconut deminishes as time goes by. Some of it becomes part of the "meat" which will be the copra. But there is still some liquid in a mature coconut. Processes oil by hand yields a very small amount of oil, around 20 to 25 % if you are lucky(tried this in laboratory class in college). The method used in industry is solvent extraction(cyclohexanone), here you can get an economical yield.
The problem here in the Philippines is not a question of natural resources but more of politics. People want power so they can control somebody else so they can stay in power. Vicious cycle. My prayers to the hostages and their families. As to changing to a carbohydrate economy. Hopefully we can make a small difference in a years time. Making ethanol et al from veggie oils... hmmm now thats interesting. If they can extract diesel from the "ends"(usually tar and asphalt) using vaccum distillation, cracking and reforming of crude why not make it from veggie oils. Anyone want to collaborate on this? Best Regards to all Ken At 09:53 PM 6/4/01 +1000, you wrote: >Hello Keith, Harry, Steve, Marc, Ken et al, > >I quote this from the following web site:- >QUOTE >The method we use at Mt. Banahaw Tropical Herbs in the Philippines is >fermentation. The coconut milk expressed from the freshly harvested coconuts >is fermented for approximately 48 hours. During this time, the water >separates from the oil. The oil is then slightly heated for a short time to >remove moisture, and filtered. The result is a clear coconut oil that >retains the distinct odour and taste of coconuts. This is a traditional >method of coconut oil extraction that has been used in the Philippines for >hundreds of years. Our laboratory tests show that this is a very high >quality coconut oil, with the lauric acid content being over 53%. This oil >is not mass produced, but made by hand just as it has been done for hundreds >of years. >UNQUOTE >http://coconut-info.com/what_is_virgin_coconut_oil.htm > >Being a lay man (no pun intended) it would seem to me that just about any >bio chemist should be able to figure out how this is done. Any one with >ideas? Here is another quote from an email by David Surya >([EMAIL PROTECTED]):- >QUOTE >2. about fermentation of coconut, I heard here in >Indonesia, they are using a kind of crab that is >called "yuyu". this fermentation methode can increases >the yield of coconut oil until 0.15 - 0.2 >litre/coconut from usual range 0.12 - 0.17 >litre/coconut >UNQUOTE > >Have sent a message to David asking for more details but as yet no reply. > >With regard to the paper by Dan Etherington. This process is designed for >very small scale village producers. That is fine, but if the production of >bio diesel and/or high quality coconut oil is to make any real difference to >the current account balance of any pacific nation, as well as make a >noticeable environmental impact, the process has to be capable of being >scaled up so that tons not liters of oil per day can be produced. I'm sure >this can be done using screw presses and/or roller mills and conveyor belt >dryers in a continuous process. Or perhaps fermentation could be used >instead of mechanical expulsion. > >Then there is the juice, which apparently gets thrown away. When the coconut >is still green, the juice (I refuse to call it milk) contains much sugar. >What happens to this sugar as the nut matures and the endosperm thickens and >hardens? Does it get converted to fat? Or is enough still present that it >can be fermented to produce ethanol? > >Finally, as I mentioned in a previous message, can ethanol be derived from >veggie oil (perhaps through intermediate trans esterification) just like >gasoline is derived from crude fossil oil? > >These are questions I'm sure bio chemists and/or chemical engineers might be >able to answer. > >Back yard bio fuel production by all means. I'm 100% for it. But if the >pacific nations with their abundant natural vegetation, coconuts and oil >palm are to play a meaningful part in the emerging carbohydrate economy (as >they should, considering their resources), then we must use back yard >processes as a stepping stone and look further towards large scale >production involving perhaps co-operatives, community organisations, local, >provincial and national governments as well as private enterprise. I think >that through a combination of these biological and social resources it is >possible to begin slowing down the cultural inertia of the hydrocarbon >economy and shift towards its carbohydrate counterpart. What better place to >do this than the pacific nations with their current almost total dependence >fossil fuels. > >Any one with some ideas? Or is there someone to shoot me down in flames? All >comers welcome;-) > >Hanns > > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. >To unsubscribe, send an email to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > ----------------------------------------------------- Click here for Free Video!! http://www.gohip.com/free_video/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
