What Type of Substance Is Charcoal?

Materials used to create charcoal

• The most common materials used to make charcoal are wood, coconut shells and different grades of coal (peat, lignite, bituminous coal, anthracite), according to Bob Hanson, president of Cameron Carbon Incorporated. "Charcoal can be made out of any organic material," Hanson said. While wood, coconut shells and coal are the most common materials, Hanson said you could make charcoal from apples or bananas if you so desired.

Creating Charcoal

• Heating organic materials at temperatures of at least 800 degrees Fahrenheit in the absence of oxygen will produce charcoal. The high temperatures remove volatile substances from the raw material, Hanson explained. The materials found on the edges of a fireplace or a recent campfire may actually be charcoal, created by high temperatures in the absence of oxygen.

Types of Charcoal

• Charcoal generally comes in granular or powder form. Each form of charcoal can be manipulated, adding water, steam or other chemicals to alter its burning properties. Activated charcoal, which is not completely void of volatile substances, is formed by heating charcoal in another kiln, injecting it with superheated steam, and activating the carbon at temperatures around 1850 degrees Fahrenheit. Hanson describes this product as activated carbon, and notes that it is most commonly used for air purification.

Uses of Charcoal

• Charcoal is commonly used by artists as a medium, as well as a color for paints. The most well-known use of charcoal is as a fuel for grilling and other cooking methods. Because of its porosity, charcoal is used in the production of spirits (like vodka or whiskey) to sweeten the liquor. Its porosity also lends a usefulness to garden nurseries and makes it a popular material among orchid growers for sweetening the soil and trapping bacteria.

  Activated charcoal may have medicinal properties, most specifically as an overdose cure. It is more prevalent in alternative medicine than mainstream practices.

Charcoal in History

• Hanson says charcoal was first used in Egypt, where ancient Egyptians took advantage of its porosity to purify water. Early humans used charcoal for cave drawings, possibly earlier than the Egyptians used the substance as a water purifier, according to a paper published by the American Chemical Society.