page_title: Incense
section_title: Combustible base
hierarchical_section_title: Incense / Composition / Combustible base
caption_attribution_description: English: This image shows a "Räucherkerzchen" (a kind of incense). Deutsch: Dieses Bild zeigt ein brennenden Räucherkerzchen. Camera data Camera Nikon D70 Lens Sigma 70-300 / 4-5,6 APO Macro Super II Focal length 240 mm Aperture f/5.3 Exposure time 1/2.5 s Sensivity ISO 200
context_page_description: Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burned. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also be used as a simple deodorant or insect repellent.
  Incense is composed of aromatic plant materials, often combined with essential oils. The forms taken by incense differ with the underlying culture, and have changed with advances in technology and increasing number of uses.
  Incense can generally be separated into two main types: "indirect-burning" and "direct-burning". Indirect-burning incense is not capable of burning on its own, and requires a separate heat source. Direct-burning incense is lit directly by a flame and then fanned or blown out, leaving a glowing ember that smoulders and releases a smoky fragrance. Direct-burning incense is either a paste formed around a bamboo stick, or a paste that is extruded into a stick or cone shape.
context_section_description: The combustible base of a direct burning incense mixture not only binds the fragrant material together but also allows the produced incense to burn with a self-sustained ember, which propagates slowly and evenly through an entire piece of incense with such regularity that it can be used to mark time. The base is chosen such that it does not produce a perceptible smell. Commercially, two types of incense base predominate:
  Fuel and oxidizer mixtures: Charcoal or wood powder provides the fuel for combustion while an oxidizer such as sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate sustains the burning of the incense. Fragrant materials are added to the base prior to shaping, as in the case of powdered incense materials, or after, as in the case of essential oils. The formula for charcoal-based incense is superficially similar to black powder, though it lacks the sulfur.
  Natural plant-based binders: Gums such as Gum Arabic or Gum Tragacanth are used to bind the mixture together. Mucilaginous material, which can be derived from many botanical sources, is mixed with fragrant materials and water. The mucilage from the wet binding powder holds the fragrant material together while the cellulose in the powder combusts to form a stable ember when lit. The dry binding powder usually comprises about 10% of the dry weight in the finished incense. These include:
  Makko (incense powder) made from the bark of various trees in the genus Persea (such as Persea thunbergii)
  Xiangnan pi (made from the bark of trees of genus Phoebe such as Phoebe nanmu or Persea zuihoensis.
  Jigit: a resin based binder used in India
  Laha or Dar: bark based powders used in Nepal, Tibet, and other East Asian countries.
  Typical compositions burn at a temperature between 220 °C and 260 °C.
caption: A Räucherkerzchen – A charcoal-based incense cone
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