page_title: Charcoal
section_title: Types
hierarchical_section_title: Charcoal / Types
context_page_description: Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood so as to drive off all water and other volatile constituents. 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. Charcoal can also be produced by heating the material in a closed retort.
  This process also happens while burning wood, as in a fireplace or wood stove. The visible flame in that case is actually due to combustion of the volatiles given off as the wood turns into charcoal. The soot and smoke commonly given off by wood fire result from incomplete combustion of those volatiles. Charcoal itself burns at a higher temperature than wood, with hardly a visible flame, and gives off practically no smoke, soot, or unburnt volatiles.
context_section_description: Common charcoal is made from peat, coal, wood, coconut shell, or petroleum.
  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 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 is a traditional charcoal made directly from hardwood material. It usually produces far less ash than briquettes.
  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 charcoal (Binchōtan) is very hard and produces a metallic sound when struck.
  Black charcoal
  Ogatan is a more recent type made from hardened sawdust.
  Pillow shaped briquettes are made by compressing charcoal, 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), borax, sodium 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).
  Extruded charcoal 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.
caption: Ogatan, charcoal briquettes made from sawdust
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