Jumat, 07 Agustus 2009

How Using Woven Polypropylene Bags To Store Stove Corn Can Heat Up Your Savings

By David Marinac

There is no question that in recent years energy costs have skyrocketed. And the price of burning fossil fuels is more than just financial: environmentalists the world over continually warn about the dangers of using non-renewable energy sources that pollute the environment when burned, global warming being just one of the major topics frequently discussed.

With the cold winter months looming ahead, energy consumers have been looking for new ways to heat their homes that are easily renewed, will not pollute the environment, and will save them money. Enter stove corn, a new source of heat energy that involves burning shelled corn in specially-designed furnaces.

To heat a typical Midwestern, 2,000-square-foot home, the heating costs per season will typically be around $880, excluding the initial $2,000 cost of the special stove required for burning stove corn. By comparison, heating the same home using natural gas would be around $1,200 for the season, and $2,200 when using electricity.

Stove corn does, however, require a higher level of user maintenance than natural gas or electricity. For example, buying and storing the corn, and making sure it stays suitable for consumption, can be challenging. But the packaging industry has taken an interest in the growing market for stove corn, recognizing that one of its more innovative products, woven polypropylene bags, are excellent for use in this application.

The most important thing to remember when using this alternative fuel is that its moisture content needs to be kept extremely low. The highest recommended percentage is no more than 15.5%, although in most cases a moisture content of 10-12% is ideal. Prolonged exposure to moisture will result in the growth of mildew and mold, leading to spoilage. It can cause the corn to clump together, making it difficult to feed into the combustion chamber of the stove. In addition, burning moldy corn could aggravate respiratory problems in individuals with allergies or asthma. The use of woven polypropylene bags protects contents from exposure to moisture, because the bags actually consist of thousands of strands of plastic woven together to form a fabric-like sheet that is very strong, extremely durable, and readily resistant to water.

In addition, storing stove corn in woven polypropylene bags not only keeps the corn in a moisture-free environment, but their strength enables them to hold 50 or more pounds without risk of breakage. The tensile strength of the bags makes them more resistant to contamination that could come from rodents, birds, squirrels, and other varmints. They also offer more ventilation than a bulk container, offering even further protection from spoilage.

With all of this in mind, consumers of heat energy looking to switch to stove corn should make sure the fuel is stored in woven polypropylene bags, a sure-fire way to heat up their savings this winter!

David Marinac
http://www.abc-packaging.com/products/woven-polypropylene-bags.htm

American Built Containment Systems (ABC Systems) is the only company that custom designs specialty packaging via the Internet without having to meet with a customer face-to-face. This allows them to respond faster than any other company at the total lowest cost.

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