Varieties Of Charcoal

Carbon is a non-metal with the atomic number 6 and the symbol C. Carbon is found in the second period and group 14 of the modern periodic table. Carbon gets its name from the Latin word ‘carbo,’ which means’ coal.’ The allotropes of carbon are diamond, graphite, buckminsterfullerenes, and charcoal. 

Charcoal is often made by burning wood, peat, bones, cellulose, or other carbonaceous materials with little or no oxygen. It is a very porous microcrystalline graphite made of amorphous carbon. When charcoal is added to clay, it can save energy during the brick-making process.

What is Charcoal?

Charcoal is an ash-free material. It is a high-value product because of this feature. Also, it is a very flammable substance. Charcoal has a high carbon dioxide reactivity and is a solid amorphous material. 

Charcoal is a carbon-based porous substance that is black. It is a low-density material, and the mechanical strength of charcoal is poor. Carbon charcoal has an enormous surface area due to its structure. Moreover, charcoal is an excellent absorbent. It absorbs water quickly. Since charcoal has a large surface area and a high porosity, it is more susceptible to contamination from dust and soil. As a result, it must be stored with caution.

Types of Charcoal

Charcoal has a lot of varieties. Let’s check out the charcoal types.

• Activated Charcoal

When regular charcoal is burned to an extremely high temperature, it becomes activated charcoal. And when this happens, the elements and compounds attached to carbon atoms are eliminated, leaving all carbon binding sites “open” for new molecules and atoms to bind to. This increases the surface area of activated charcoal, making it significantly more porous than ordinary charcoal. Due to its porosity, a teaspoon of activated charcoal has nearly the same surface area as a football field.

• Wood Charcoal

Wood charcoal is a carbon compound formed by burning plant components at a high temperature (plant wood). It is a lightweight compound. It is a porous, black solid with a velvety texture. The colour of wood charcoal is black, and it exists in a solid state. Wood charcoal is made when heated vigorously in a minimal air supply. The destructive distillation of wood is the term for this process. Wood charcoal absorbs odorous vapours and colouring materials. It is used as a deodorant, fuel, and decolourising agent. It is also used in the production of gunpowder. 

• Animal Charcoal

Animal charcoal is created through the destructive distillation of animal carcasses and contains around ten carbon atoms. It is used to decolourise organic compounds and simple sugar solutions and is a better absorbent than wood charcoal. Destructive distillation extracts animal charcoal from blood, horn, bones, and other sources. It has a few unique qualities. Also, it can remove compounds from a solution. When heated together, it discolours the dark solution of raw sugar. Animal charcoal can readily remove indigo, iodine, litmus, red wine dyeing agent, astringent components, and combined oil from alcohol.

• Sugar Charcoal

It is made by heating sugar without adding any air. Sugar charcoal is the cleanest form of amorphous carbon. When sugar charcoal is powdered to a molecular size of roughly 5 microns and reheated at around 1000 K in a vacuum, it becomes distinctively activated charcoal. The adsorption limit of activated charcoal is high. It is made by boiling cane sugar in the absence of air to produce the most acceptable type of charcoal. Dehydration of sugar in the presence of strong sulfuric acid is also used to make it (H2SO4). As sulfuric acid is a dehydrator, it drains water from the sugar and leaves a black carbon residue behind.

• BBQ Charcoal

BBQ charcoal is created by compressing sawdust without binders or chemicals at high temperatures and pressures. It has a hexagonal intersection with a hole in the middle. One of the varieties of charcoal that is widely used is BBQ charcoal. It is generally used for grilling because it produces no odour, smoke, or ash and produces tremendous heat after a long burn (more than 4 hours).

• Coconut Shell Charcoal

Coconut shell charcoal is a type of activated charcoal manufactured from the shells of coconuts. This form of charcoal is used to treat a variety of ailments. It is used to treat infections of the soft tissues and skin. It has antibacterial properties. As a result, it is called activated coconut charcoal. 

Conclusion

Carbon can be found in various forms in both living and nonliving things. It is also used for multiple technical purposes, from pharmaceuticals to synthetic materials. This is due to carbon’s ability to bond to itself and nearly all other elements in an almost infinite variety of ways. Charcoal is an ash residue hydrocarbon and lightweight dark carbon produced by eliminating plants and animals’ water and other volatile components.