charcoal

" Charcoal, a form of amorphous carbon, is produced when wood, peat, bones, cellulose, or other carbonaceous substances are heated with little or no air present. A highly porous residue of microcrystalline graphite remains. Charcoal is a fuel and was used in blast furnaces until the advent of coke. Today most charcoal is used for recreational, restaurant, and home cooking in the form of charcoal briquettes. A small amount of charcoal is used in certain metallurgical processes and as a filter to remove organic compounds such as chlorine, gasoline, pesticides, and other toxic chemicals from water and air. Most producers of charcoal sell their product to be made into briquettes. However, consumer demand for natural hardwood charcoal is still limited. A major obstacle to wider charcoal use has been cost. Under current systems of production, natural hardwood charcoal is roughly twice the price of briquettes per pound, and because natural charcoal is lighter than briquettes, the consumer must store a greater volume of it to have the same number of pounds. However, charcoal is a product that seems to lend itself to innovative marketing. Many small companies have succeeded with unique ideas related to charcoal products."