Charcoal

Charcoal

Charcoal (/ˈtʃɑːrkoʊl/) is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) so as to drive off all water and other volatile constituents.

Etymology

The word "charcoal" comes from the Old English charcole, which means "charred coal". The term was in use by the late 14th century.

Production

Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other organic substances in the absence of oxygen (Pyrolysis). This process is called charcoal burning. The finished charcoal consists largely of carbon.

Types

There are several types of charcoal:

• Lump charcoal is made from hardwood material and has a distinctive shape.
• Binchōtan is a traditional charcoal of Japan.
• White charcoal is hard and produces a metallic sound when struck.
• Pillow shaped briquettes are made by compressing charcoal, typically made from sawdust and other wood by-products, with a binder and other additives.
• Sawdust briquette charcoal is made by compressing sawdust without binders or additives.
• Extruded charcoal is made by extruding either raw ground wood or carbonized wood into logs without the use of a binder.

Uses

Charcoal has been used since earliest times for a large range of purposes including art and medicine, and as a metal fuel.

Medical Uses

In medicine, charcoal is used in the form of Activated charcoal, an important medical treatment for poisonings and overdoses. Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen to open up millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms. It is used to adsorb harmful substances from the gastrointestinal tract.

Related Terms

• Carbon
• Pyrolysis
• Activated charcoal
• Lump charcoal
• Binchōtan
• White charcoal
• Pillow shaped briquettes
• Sawdust briquette charcoal
• Extruded charcoal

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Charcoal
• Wikipedia's article - Charcoal

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