Thank you Stephen - much appreciated.
. The report said that a small amount of the sample was combusted as a way of measuring the nitrogen content.
Thank you Stephen.
Coconut shells are made from cellulose, just as wood is, but there is debate as to whether it is classifiable as wood. It is used as a substitute for wood.
The Nitrogen content from the sample is close to that expected for wood, but as the sample had been exposed to heat already and consequently partially decomposed, I would expect, no pun intended, for some loss of compounds such as Nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, etc., which could underestimate the original nitrogen content.
I haven't had time to read through all the material yet as regards the analysis, but I would like to know if any other analytical techniques were applied to the material, e.g. possibly a scanning electron microscope could reveal structure.
As I said, 1 test by itself is insufficient.
e.g. Have you heard of the Turin Shroud, which allegedly has the imprint of Jesus in his alleged burial cloth. A sample of the material was Carbon dated to be, by recollection, approx 700 years old, which would make it a fake. However, analysis of the fibre revealed it to be typical of the material found in the Middle East 2000 years ago, and as far as I know , the Vatican, where the shroud is kept, have not allowed further testing.
