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From: jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla)
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.garden
Subject: Re: Spontaneous combustion and people! (really of HAY; compost)
Message-ID: <664@osiris.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 31-Jan-86 13:09:55 EST
Article-I.D.: osiris.664
Posted: Fri Jan 31 13:09:55 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Feb-86 05:52:24 EST
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Organization: Johns Hopkins Hospital
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Xref: watmath net.misc:9245 net.garden:930

> Along the same lines, grain (read wheat, barley, etc.) is prone
> to spontaneous combustion also.  Grain elevators will not take
> grain which is above a certain percentage of moisture content.
> That's why grain dryers are used...
> (By the way, I'm from Montana)

	Actually, the explosiveness of grains has as much to do with the
combustibility of finely-divided particles. Under the proper conditions,
cornstarch can be ten times more combustible than TNT. In this scenerio,
moisture content doesn't matter. Thus grain elevators and feed mills are
very, very dust-conscious as the risk of explosion is high. Moisture content
is often used to determine the price per bushel for grain because it increases
the spoilage factor.
	(I'm from Delaware myself and my dad has worked at a grain elevator
for 30 years).

-- 
jcpatilla

"Not faint canaries but ambrosia.."
(name the original source)