Activating Carbon for conductivity.

[ratstar]

I put on my stove top a potatos worth of potato slices and chunks, and emmersed it in the flame for about 3 hours, I took it off too early, got 0 conductance, so I put it in a metal wire seive, and then I cooked it a bit more, got it glowing, but I fricken burnt myself on the finger, so best be careful when your dealing with metal next to fire.), and I got last time I checked it was ~13 kilohms at about 1cm apart. (about twice as good as tap water.)

Heres a pic:

It appears grey because it is mixed with white paint.

Maybe it would be fun making copious amounts of this stuff, you might be able to get $20 a kilo but probably only if it was really good quality. (Not like this stuff.)

Have u guys ever done this or have any tips for me? (If you dont mind.)

 

[ratstar]

Correction:: when it finally dried properly its twice as BAD as tapwater. it was about 34 kiloohms at a cm apart. (on a good bit..) So the water was actually helping it conduct, not the other way around, or something happened as it dried?? (That it pulled apart from itself?)

 

[CapSteel]

Wow, never heard of anyone making resistors out of burnt potatoes!

 

[Nanren888]

Carbon rods from the centre of batteries? - used them for carbon arcs. Might be ok to take a file to one. Maybe start with a big battery?
Sorry? What's the aim?

 

[ratstar]

 

[Alec_t]

Have you tested the conductivity of artists' charcoal sticks?

 

[ratstar]

I actually havent, I wonder if they make sure its conductive for quality anyway. Be interesting to see if they do that.