measuring Carbon content of ash??

crisco10

Not too sure if this is the correct forum but anyway here is goes:

I need to measure the carbon content of ash from solid fuel boilers, it needs to be relatively inexpensive piece of kit and preferably smallish in size. I have been scouring the net all morning but all i can find is much bigger pieces of kit for industrial burning of coal like this one:

http://www.m-w.dk/division.asp?Page=http://www.m-w.dk/m-w-asketeknik/produkter/RCA2000.htm&Name=asketeknik

To be honest, this looks a little to hardcore for what i want in a small lab type situation.
Anybody have ideas?

I have been incredibly grateful for this forum in the past because ye all are so helpful.

Thanks guys,

crisco10

ART6

Never tried, but since carbon burns and ash doesn't, could you not weigh a sample of ash and then put it in a small metal pot and heat it with a blowlamp until there is no more smoke or fumes from it, then weigh it again? The difference in weight should be the carbon content surely? A dessert spoon, a set of digital scales, and a blowlamp would do it if that works.