Charcoal

What is charcoal? In General, it is a porous black solid, consisting of an amorphous form of carbon, obtained as a residue when wood, bone, or other organic matter is heated in the absence of air. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, called charcoal burning, the heat is supplied by burning part of the starting material itself, with a limited supply of oxygen. Charc0al can also be produced by heating the material in a closed retort.

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Charc0al is used in many ways, but its most important use has probably been by blacksmiths and other metal workers, who historically used extremely hot charcoal fires to heat metal. Charc0al is also used to make explosive blasting powders and common water filters. One theory of the word’s origin combines the obsolete verb charren, “to turn,” and cole, “coal” — in other words, “to turn to coal.”

HISTORY

The first recorded use of charc0als as an artistic medium was in cave paintings. Here, you can see a very detailed Ibex, from the Niaux cave in France. Some of the paintings and drawings shown on the Bradshaw Foundation Website can be dated as early as 1602.

Charcoal Using in Art Medium
Charcoal Using in Art Medium

Not merely an art medium, charc0al also played a pivotal role in the technological development of man. Used as a fuel source to enable people to smelt and work metals, it was and is an important part of history: both in use for various tools and recording it as seen in the cave drawings above.

Charcoal production and metallurgy go hand in hand. Early attempts to smelt metal using wood were unsuccessful, because you have to have a very high temperature. When you burn regular wood, water and other volatiles are burnt off, limiting the temperature of the fire. Charcoal, however, can produce a much higher temperature with very little smoke. Originally, oxide copper ores were the first reduced with charc0al which began the Bronze Age. The charcoal itself was likely produced using a rudimentary pit kiln, where wood is burnt very slowly and covered with soil. This method then evolved to something known as the forest kiln, a much more efficient way of rendering the charcoal that is still used to this day.

The massive production of charcoal (at its height employing hundreds of thousands, mainly in Alpine and neighbouring forests) was a major cause of deforestation, especially in Central Europe. In England, many woods were managed as coppices, which were cut and regrown cyclically, so that a steady supply of charcoal was available. Complaints (as early as the Stuart period) about shortages may relate to the results of temporary over-exploitation or the impossibility of increasing production to match growing demand. The increasing scarcity of easily harvested wood was a major factor behind the switch to fossil fuel equivalents, mainly coal and brown coal for industrial use.

The modern process of carbonizing wood, either in small pieces or as sawdust in cast iron retorts, is extensively practiced where wood is scarce, and also for the recovery of valuable byproducts (wood spiritpyroligneous acidwood tar), which the process permits. The question of the temperature of the carbonization is important; according to J. Percy, wood becomes brown at 220 °C (428 °F), a deep brown-black after some time at 280 °C (536 °F), and an easily powdered mass at 310 °C (590 °F). Charcoal made at 300 °C (572 °F) is brown, soft and friable, and readily inflames at 380 °C (716 °F); made at higher temperatures it is hard and brittle, and does not fire until heated to about 700 °C (1,292 °F).

In Finland and Scandinavia the charcoal was considered the by-product of wood tar production. The best tar came from pine, thus pinewoods were cut down for tar pyrolysis. The residual charcoal was widely used as substitute for metallurgical coke in blast furnaces for smelting. Tar production led to rapid local deforestation. The end of tar production at the end of the 19th century resulted in rapid re-forestation of affected areas.

Kilns in area where closest source of wood

The charcoal briquette was first invented and patented by Ellsworth B. A. Zwoyer of Pennsylvania in 1897 and was produced by the Zwoyer Fuel Company. The process was further popularized by Henry Ford, who used wood and sawdust byproducts from automobile fabrication as a feedstock. Ford Charcoal went on to become the Kingsford Company.

Production methods

Charcoal has been made by various methods. The traditional method in Britain used a clamp. This is essentially a pile of wooden logs (e.g. seasoned oak) leaning against a chimney (logs are placed in a circle). The chimney consists of 4 wooden stakes held up by some rope. The logs are completely covered with soil and straw allowing no air to enter. It must be lit by introducing some burning fuel into the chimney; the logs burn very slowly and transform into charcoal in a period of 5 days’ burning. If the soil covering gets torn (cracked) by the fire, additional soil is placed on the cracks. Once the burn is complete, the chimney is plugged to prevent air from entering.

The last section of the film Le Quattro Volte (2010) gives a good and long, if poetic, documentation of the traditional method of making charcoal.The Arthur Ransome children’s series Swallows and Amazons (particularly the second book Swallowdale) features carefully drawn vignettes of the lives and the techniques of charcoal burners at the start of the 20th century, in the Lake District of the UK.

Charcoal Burner, Bouth Woods

Modern methods use a sealed metal container, as this does not require watching lest fire break through the covering. However, on-site attendance is required. This is often carried out by the last forestry workers to live in working woodland in the western world. There has been a resurgence of this, particularly in the UK. A good example of this is Bulworthy Project where charcoal production supports an experiment in low-impact living and nature conservation.

The properties of the charcoal produced depend on the material charred. The charring temperature is also important. Charcoal contains varying amounts of hydrogen and oxygen as well as ash and other impurities that, together with the structure, determine the properties. The approximate composition of charcoal for gunpowders is sometimes empirically described as C7H4O. To obtain a coal with high purity, source material should be free of non-volatile compounds (sugar and a high charring temperature can be used). After charring, partial oxidation with oxygen or chlorine can reduce hydrogen levels. For activation of charcoal see activated carbon.

Common charcoal is made from peat, coal, wood, coconut shell, or petroleum. “Activated charcoal” is similar to common charcoal, but is made especially for use as a medicine. To make activated charcoal, manufacturers heat common charcoal in the presence of a gas that causes the charcoal to develop lots of internal spaces or “pores.” These pores help activated charcoal “trap” chemicals.

Wood charcoal is obtained as the residue by destructive distillation of wood such that the products are:

TYPES

Common charcoal is made from peat, coal, wood, coconut shell, or petroleum.

Sugar charcoal

Sugar charcoal  is obtained from the carbonization of sugar and is particularly pure. It is purified by boiling with acids to remove any mineral matter and is then burned for a long time in a current of chlorine to remove the last traces of hydrogen. It was used by Henri Moissan in his early attempt to create synthetic diamonds.

Activated charcoal

Activated charcoal is similar to common charcoal but is manufactured especially for medical use. To produce activated charcoal, common charcoal is heated to about 900 °C (1,650 °F) in the presence of a gas (usually steam), causing the charcoal to develop many internal spaces, or “pores”, which help the activated charcoal to trap chemicals. Impurities on the surface of the charcoal are also removed during this process, greatly increasing its adsorption capacity.

Lump Charcoal

Lump Charc0al is is a traditional one made directly from hardwood material . It is often thought of being superior to briquettes, but since it’s difficult to package and hard to control the outcome of the lump shapes, it’s not the most sought after. These burn quicker and at a higher temperature than briquettes, but may also burn out faster as a result. Since lump charcoal responds to oxygen extraordinarily well, you can manipulate the vents on your charcoal grill to actually control the temperature range in a short amount of time.

Lump Charc0al

Japanese charcoal has had pyroligneous acid removed during the charcoal making; it therefore produces almost no smell or smoke when burned. The traditional charcoal of Japan is classified into three types:

  • White charc0al (Binchōtan) is very hard and produces a metallic sound when struck. Binchotan has been around for hundreds of years, and they’re made during an extremely slow process that can take weeks on end. Traditionally, they’re made from Japanese oak trees, but that’s not the only reason they’re unique. They don’t just use split pieces of wood; they actually use the branches as well. In these kilns, it can take one to three weeks on a very, very low temperature to actually reach the right consistency. While this isn’t something you’re going to run into on a regular basis (not traditional binchotan, anyway), it’s definitely another piece of awesome grilling history to know about.
Binchotan
Ogatan, Charc0al Briquettes made from sawdust

Charcoal briquettes

The most common charc0al that’s been around since the 19th century.

Charcoal briquettes are basically your go-to because of how slowly they burn.

These are made in low oxygen environments, just like most charcoal, but they can be left to burn for days at a time until they’re just right.

Briquettes can be purchase in large-scale volume bags, and remain among the cheapest ways to use your charc0al grill today.

Making briquettes on your own is a very difficult feat, but one that can be achieved.

Briquette Charc0al

You have the most versatility with briquettes since most major brands will make them out of a ton of different wood types.

Sawdust Briquette Charc0al
  • Pillow shaped briquettes are made by compressing charc0al, typically made from sawdust and other wood by-products, with a binder and other additives. The binder is usually starch. Briquettes may also include brown coal (heat source), mineral carbon (heat source), boraxsodium nitrate (ignition aid), limestone (ash-whitening agent), raw sawdust (ignition aid), and other additives.
  • Sawdust briquette charcoal is made by compressing sawdust without binders or additives. It is the preferred charcoal in Taiwan, Korea, Greece, and the Middle East. It has a round hole through the center, with a hexagonal intersection. It is used primarily for barbecue as it produces no odour, no smoke, little ash, high heat, and long burning hours (exceeding 4 hours). See also the Sawdust briquette charc0al product herewith for your perusal, tks;)
  • Hardwood briquettes. These are also made in the shape and fashion of briquettes, but hardwood tends to burn slower. It’s a denser type of wood, which means the heat moves through it slowly. You can end up paying about 1.7x the amount of money on a bag of hardwood briquettes than standard softwood briquettes, but depending on how often you grill, it could be worth it. Since they burn for longer, it’s a viable option if you don’t want to constantly refill your charc0al chimney, or you’re trying to have an all-day grilling affair and want to actually get a chance to socialize as well. You can tend to the grill without having to constantly dump more charcoal in.
Hardwood Briquette

Coconut shell charc0al

Coconut shells don’t have much use once you actually get the coconut out from the middle, and extract the coconut water.

Instead of the standard burning process, coconut shell charcoal is made by doing something called distillation, which makes it stronger and burn longer than standard charcoal.

This could either mimic the cost of standard briquettes or depending on your area, it might be an arm and a leg to get your hand on some.

It doesn’t have a specific aroma when it burns, but these little shell chips actually burn for way longer than you would expect them to.

Coconut Shell Charc0al
  • Coconut Cube Charcoal Briquette. This kind of briquette mostly uses for shisha or hookah.
  • Coconut Hexagone Charcoal Briquette. This is another type of shisha or hookah charcoal.
Coconut Cube Charc0al Briquette

Extruded charcoal 

Extruded charc0al is made by extruding either raw ground wood or carbonized wood into logs without the use of a binder. The heat and pressure of the extruding process hold the charcoal together. If the extrusion is made from raw wood material, the extruded logs are subsequently carbonized.

U S E S

Charc0al has been used since earliest times for a large range of purposes including art and medicine, but by far its most important use has been as a metallurgical fuel. It is the traditional fuel of a blacksmith’s forge and other applications where an intense heat is required. It was also used historically as a source of black pigment by grinding it up. In this form charcoal was important to early chemists and was a constituent of formulas for mixtures such as black powder. Due to its high surface area charc0al can be used as a filter, and as a catalyst or as an adsorbent.

Cooking fuel; Grill, BBQ/Barbeque

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, charc0al was occasionally used as a cooking fuel. Modern “charc0al briquettes“, widely used for outdoor cooking, are made with charcoal but may also include coal as an energy source as well as accelerants, binders and filler.

Industrial fuel

Historically, charc0al was used in great quantities for smelting iron in bloomeries and later blast furnaces and finery forges. This use was replaced by coal in the 19th Century as part of the Industrial Revolution.

Metallurgical fuel

Charc0al burns at temperatures exceeding 1,100 degrees Celsius (2,010 degrees Fahrenheit).[8] By comparison the melting point of iron is approximately 1,200 to 1,550 °C (2,190 to 2,820 °F). Due to its porosity, it is sensitive to the flow of air and the heat generated can be moderated by controlling the air flow to the fire. For this reason charcoal is still widely used by blacksmiths. Charc0al has been used for the production of iron since Roman times and steel in modern times where it also provided the necessary carbon. Charc0al briquettes can burn up to approximately 1,260 °C (2,300 °F) with a forced air blower forge.[9]

In the 16th century, England had to pass laws to prevent the country from becoming completely denuded of trees due to production of iron. In the 19th century charc0al was largely replaced by coke in steel production due to cost.

Family fuel & heater

Charc0al is the principal woodfuel in urban areas of many less developed countries. There are a number of reasons why people in dense urban settlements favor charc0al over wood. It has a higher energy density, it burns cleaner (reducing exposure to harmful pollutants), and it is easier to transport, handle, and store. In addition, many people favor charc0al because it is considered a more modern fuel than wood and is a kind of status symbol.

Domestic charc0al use in less developed countries is possible only with a thriving charc0al industry. Charc0al production is most prevalent in Africa, although it is also common in several other countries such as Brazil, India, and Thailand.  In many African and Asian countries, charc0al is an important urban household fuel

Cosmetic use of bamboo charc0al

Charc0al is also incorporated in multiple cosmetic products. It can be produced a.o. from regular bamboo cut into small pieces and boiled in water to remove soluble compounds. Raw bamboo charc0al is obtained after drying and carbonization in an oven at elevated temperature. The role of charc0al in cosmetics is based on its highly effective absorbing properties at a microscopic-scale.

Purification and filtration

Activated Carbon

Activated carbon

Charc0al may be activated to increase its effectiveness as a filter. Activated charc0al readily adsorbs a wide range of organic compounds dissolved or suspended in gases and liquids. In certain industrial processes, such as the purification of sucrose from cane sugar, impurities cause an undesirable color, which can be removed with activated charcoal. It is also used to absorb odors and toxins in gases, such as air. Charcoal filters are also used in some types of gas masks. The medical use of activated charcoal is mainly the absorption of poisons. Activated charc0al is available without a prescription, so it is used for a variety of health-related applications. For example, it is often used to reduce discomfort and embarrassment due to excessive gas (flatulence) in the digestive tract.

Animal charc0al or bone black is the carbonaceous residue obtained by the dry distillation of bones. It contains only about 10% carbon, the remaining being calcium and magnesium phosphates (80%) and other inorganic material originally present in the bones. It is generally manufactured from the residues obtained in the glue and gelatin industries. Its decolorizing power was applied in 1812 by Derosne to the clarification of the syrups obtained in sugar refining; but its use in this direction has now greatly diminished, owing to the introduction of more active and easily managed reagents. It is still used to some extent in laboratory practice. The decolorizing power is not permanent, becoming lost after using for some time; it may be revived, however, by washing and reheating. Wood charc0al also to some extent removes coloring material from solutions, but animal charcoal is generally more effective.

Medicine

Charcoal was consumed in the past as dietary supplement for gastric problems in the form of charc0al biscuits. Now it can be consumed in tablet, capsule or powder form, for digestive effects. Research regarding its effectiveness is controversial.

Charc0al has been used in combination with saccharin in research to measure mucociliary transport time.

Charc0al has also been incorporated in toothpaste formulas; however, there is no evidence to determine its safety and effectiveness.

Red colobus monkeys in Africa have been observed eating charc0al for the purposes of self-medication. Their leafy diets contain high levels of cyanide, which may lead to indigestion. So they learned to consume charcoal, which absorbs the cyanide and relieves indigestion. This knowledge about supplementing their diet is transmitted from mother to infant.

Art

Four sticks of vine charcoal and four sticks of compressed charcoal

Two charc0al pencils in paper sheaths that are unwrapped as the pencil is used, and two charc0al pencils in wooden sheaths.

Charc0al is used in art for drawing, making rough sketches in painting and is one of the possible media for making a parsemage. It must usually be preserved by the application of a fixative. Artists generally utilize charcoal in three forms:

  • Vine charc0al is created by burning grape vines.
  • Willow charc0al is created by burning sticks.
  • Powdered charc0al is often used to “tone” or cover large sections of a drawing surface. Drawing over the toned areas darkens it further, but the artist can also lighten (or completely erase) within the toned area to create lighter tones.
  • Compressed charc0al charcoal powder mixed with gum binder compressed into round or square sticks. The amount of binder determines the hardness of the stick. Compressed charc0al is used in charc0al pencils.

Shisha or Hookah/Hukkah

In order to get the best result when smoking shisha, you need premium-quality charc0al. If you use anything less than premium charcoal, smoking may result in a sore throat or headache. Premium charc0al is pure and clean, and generates a lot of heat, which is necessary to smoke shisha. It’s advised to avoid charcoal with chemical residues and smelly volatiles.

Charc0al Briquette for Shisha or Hookah

Before you can start smoking shisha, you’ll need a base, pipe, bowl and hose or mouthpiece. In other words: a waterpipe (or a hookah). First, you place the tobacco flavor of your choosing in the bowl, located at the top of the pipe structure. A piece of perforated aluminum foil covers the bowl, on top of which you place a charcoal tab that’s been lit and has heated through. Don’t forget to use a pair of tongs for this. The charcoal tab heats the tobacco in the bowl. Next, you can start smoking by using the hose or mouthpiece. The smooth, sweet smelling vapor from the tobacco is filtered through the base, containing water.

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