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Durian supremacy (lemmy.world)
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It does and doesn't. The outer layer of the durian, yeah that's gone. Dense biomass presents a unique scenario though. Where steel is homogeneous, and conducts heat very well, cells are "hollow" and contain a lot of carbon. Water vaporizes. Proteins vaporize. Carbon burns off. Slightly deeper: water vaporizes. But there's no oxygen here. The burning biomass outside is consuming it and dumping carbon dioxide as it goes. What happens when carbon heats without oxygen? It purifies. Down to pure carbon. 3,630C to melt it away. What's more, it's not solid carbon. All that water and protein is long gone, but now it's empty space. Insulation. It's impressive how much biomass blocks heat.

Time matters. Long enough, the outer layers start to burn away. Oxygen moves deeper, carbon burns, not melts. That layer burns off. Oxygen moves deeper. You didn't need 3000C. But you need time and air flow. If you're trying to see who between a mass of steel or an equal biomass gives up first, the steel will fail every time.

[-] janus2@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 week ago
[-] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

This is like, the fifteenth time I’ve seen that word in the last two days, after learning it two days ago. Baader–Meinhof.

[-] sparkyshocks@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 week ago

This is actually one of the principles that is causing building codes to start accommodating load bearing timber in tall buildings. Even though wood is combustible, wood beams that are thick enough can withstand fire for long periods of time. They're still working out what the different tests and standards should be, but some jurisdictions have approved timber skyscrapers.

[-] cybervseas@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Is that…durian charcoal?

[-] the_abecedarian@piefed.social 2 points 1 week ago

so you're saying Artemis III will have a durian heat shield

this post was submitted on 16 May 2026
214 points (92.5% liked)

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