ning
Elite Member
My recollection is that paper needs 451°F to spontaneously ignite. I'm not sure for wood, bit it's probably in that vicinity.
To get hot enough, a pile has to have a sufficient amount of nitrogen (sawdust doesn't have much at all - nitrogen is basically from the green stuff) and it can't be very compact, and there needs to be nearly 50% moisture - these are all requirements for the initial composting. Once composting raises the temperature enough (to 70-80 C) chemical processes can take over in some conditions (regardless, composting ceases at these temperatures) and raise it further, but the need the initial conditions.
As far as steaming goes - my 37C lungs emit steam on a 10C day, it's not a good measure of "hot".
To get hot enough, a pile has to have a sufficient amount of nitrogen (sawdust doesn't have much at all - nitrogen is basically from the green stuff) and it can't be very compact, and there needs to be nearly 50% moisture - these are all requirements for the initial composting. Once composting raises the temperature enough (to 70-80 C) chemical processes can take over in some conditions (regardless, composting ceases at these temperatures) and raise it further, but the need the initial conditions.
As far as steaming goes - my 37C lungs emit steam on a 10C day, it's not a good measure of "hot".