Types of Charcoal and Their Chemical Properties
Charcoal is an organic carbon compound. charcoal is produced by the incomplete combustion of plant and animal products. Charcoal is widely used in outdoor cooking. Charcoal is generally obtained from the burning of plant parts like wood, peat, bones, and cellulose. It is a highly porous microcrystalline structure. Charcoal is mixed with clay to save energy in the brick formation process. It is also known as impure graphite form. Charcoal has a porous texture and a negative electrical charge. When charcoal is obtained from the coal, it is called activated coal.
Structure of Charcoal
Charcoal exists in many different forms. It exists in the impure form as the microcrystalline graphitic form.
The charcoal structure shows it consists of an aromatic structure or carbon (carbon ring with alternate double and single bond). This aromatic structure of charcoal consists of oxygen and carbon-free radicals.
Properties of Charcoal
The properties of Charcoal are given below:
Physical Properties of Charcoal
Charcoal exists in a solid amorphous state.
The colour of the charcoal powder is black.
Charcoal is a black porous solid that consists of carbon.
It is a low-density compound.
Charcoal shows low mechanical strength properties.
The structure of carbon charcoal shows a large surface area.
Charcoal acts as a good absorbent. It readily absorbs moisture.
The high surface area of charcoal and high porosity enhances the contamination of charcoal by incidental contact with dust and soil. Therefore, it requires precautions while storing.
Chemical Properties of Charcoal
Charcoal is a low ash compound. This property of charcoal makes it a high-value product.
It is a highly combustible compound.
It shows high reactivity towards carbon dioxide.
Charcoal is not easily absorbed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
Charcoal is not metabolized in the body.
Charcoal is a high surface area compound. Therefore, it absorbs chemicals in the stomach.
Charcoal traps the chemicals and carries them out of the body without allowing them to be absorbed into the blood.
Types of Charcoal
Activated Charcoal - Activated charcoal is a fine powder black in colour, made from bone char, coconut shells, peat, petroleum coke, and coal. Charcoal gets activated when heated at a high temperature. The heating process for the formation of activated charcoal increases the surface area by reducing the pore size. In this form of charcoal, the number of pores is higher than the other forms of charcoal.
Use of Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal traps toxins and harmful chemicals in the gut. It is, therefore, responsible for the prevention of absorption.
Due to the negative charge in the charcoal, it attracts the positive charged harmful molecules. Therefore, it helps in removing these particles.
Wood Charcoal - Wood charcoal is a carbon compound made by strongly heating plant parts (plant wood). It is a lightweight compound. The colour of wood charcoal is black. It exists in a solid state.
BBQ Charcoal - BBQ charcoal is made by compressing sawdust without binders or additives under high temperature and pressure. This type of charcoal is preferred in Taiwan, Korea, Greece, and the Middle East countries. It has a hole through the centre, with a hexagonal intersection. The application of BBQ charcoal is primarily for barbecue as it does not produce any odour, smoke, little ash, high heat upon long burning (more than 4 hours).
Coconut Shell Charcoal - Coconut shell charcoal is the form of activated charcoal made up of coconut shells. Therefore, known as activated coconut charcoal. This type of charcoal is used for medicinal purposes. It is used for treating soft tissue and skin infections. It shows antibacterial properties. This form of charcoal is also known as coconut coal.
Activated Bamboo Charcoal - In this form, bamboo undergoes a pyrolysis reaction in the absence of oxygen and becomes activated. This form of charcoal is categorised into two types: Raw Bamboo Charcoal and Bamboo BBQ (Briquette) Charcoal.
Use of Charcoal
Restaurant charcoal is used in restaurants for cooking, heating, and adding flavours to the food.
Charcoal is used as an absorbent for removing several harmful toxins.
It is used in emergency medical conditions like the treatment of overdoses and poisoning.
Did You Know?
Charcoal is used to assist the kidney (nephron) function by filtering toxic chemicals.
Charcoal is used as a natural water filter.
Importance of learning the Charcoal
Charcoal is quite important to learn. In this topic, you will get to learn the different features, uses many types, and production methods of Charcoal. Here are some reasons why you should not skip Charcoal:
The Charcoal - gives you a clear understanding of the concept and fully prepares you for the exam.
By understanding the various topics under Charcoal - you can enhance your knowledge and maintain a strong grasp of the concept.
Since charcoal is a crucial part of the chemistry syllabus, you should gain as much knowledge as you can about its uses, properties, structure, types, etc.
The Charcoal - hold a major portion of the marking distributions in the exam. So, if you learn everything about these concepts, you will be able to score much higher in your final exams.
Learning the Charcoal - will help you learn how different industries use charcoal for manufacturing their products.
When you learn the Charcoal - you will get to know about the important topics and questions related to the chapter. It will give you an idea of the importance of a particular topic so that you can prepare accordingly.
Tips to Understand the Charcoal
Learning the Charcoal - will not be difficult, especially when you are studying from Vedantu’s learning platform. Keep the following tips and tricks in mind when learning this chapter:
Remember to make notes while learning the Charcoal - You can refer to these notes during revisions and save your time as you don’t have to go through the entire chapter again.
Devote an equal amount of your time and attention to every topic in the Charcoal - ensure that you understand the concepts clearly.
You can use Vedantu’s e-learning platform to study the Charcoal - We provide detailed explanations of all the topics in lucid language to make your learning process smooth and steady.
Once you are done with the Charcoal - try out different questions to check your knowledge and see whether you have understood the topics completely or not.
Use as many study materials as you can get to learn the concepts covered in Charcoal
Refer to many reference books, revision notes, important questions, etc. that are related to Charcoal to understand the concepts even better.
FAQs on Charcoal: Definition, Structure, Properties, and Uses
1. What is charcoal and how is it made?
Charcoal is a lightweight, black, and porous solid material that consists primarily of amorphous carbon. It is produced by heating wood or other organic substances in an environment with little to no oxygen. This process, known as pyrolysis, removes water and other volatile compounds, leaving behind a carbon-rich residue.
2. What are the main physical properties of charcoal?
The key physical properties of charcoal are:
- Appearance: It is a black, brittle, and lightweight solid.
- Porosity: It possesses a highly porous structure, which gives it a very large surface area.
- Adsorption: Due to its porous nature, it is an excellent adsorbent, capable of trapping gases and liquids on its surface.
- Conductivity: It is a poor conductor of heat and electricity compared to other carbon allotropes like graphite.
- Density: It has a low density, which makes it feel very light.
3. What is the basic structure of charcoal at a microscopic level?
Charcoal has an amorphous (non-crystalline) structure. Unlike the ordered, repeating atomic arrangements in diamond or graphite, the carbon atoms in charcoal are arranged irregularly. While it may contain tiny regions with a graphite-like structure (microcrystallites), these are randomly oriented and not connected in a long-range pattern. This disorder creates the numerous pores characteristic of charcoal.
4. What are some of the most important uses of charcoal?
Charcoal is a versatile material with several important applications:
- Fuel: It is widely used for cooking and grilling (barbecues) as it burns at high temperatures with minimal smoke.
- Metallurgy: It acts as a reducing agent in smelting to extract metals, such as iron, from their ores.
- Filtration: Its activated form is used in water purifiers and gas masks to adsorb impurities and harmful substances.
- Art: Artists use charcoal sticks and pencils as a drawing medium.
- Medicine: Activated charcoal is administered to treat certain types of poisoning and drug overdoses.
5. What is the difference between charcoal and coal?
Although both are carbon-rich fuels, their origins are different. Charcoal is a manufactured product created through the rapid heating (pyrolysis) of wood or other organic materials. In contrast, coal is a natural fossil fuel formed from the remains of ancient plants subjected to immense heat and pressure over millions of years deep within the Earth's crust.
6. Why is charcoal classified as an amorphous allotrope of carbon?
Charcoal is classified as an amorphous allotrope because its carbon atoms lack a definite, long-range crystalline structure. Allotropes like diamond (tetrahedral lattice) and graphite (hexagonal layered lattice) have atoms arranged in a precise, repeating pattern. Charcoal's atoms are largely disordered, without this consistent geometric arrangement, which is the defining characteristic of an amorphous solid.
7. How does charcoal's porous structure relate to its ability to adsorb substances?
The property of adsorption relies on a large surface area for molecules to adhere to. The highly porous structure of charcoal creates an exceptionally large internal surface area. These countless tiny pores and crevices act as sites where molecules of gases or dissolved impurities can be trapped and held, making charcoal a highly effective filtering and purifying agent.
8. What is the key difference between regular charcoal and activated charcoal?
The main difference is the degree of porosity and surface area. While regular charcoal is porous, activated charcoal is subjected to a special treatment involving high heat and oxidising gases (like steam or air). This 'activation' process erodes the internal surfaces, creating a far greater number of micropores. This results in a significantly larger surface area, making it much more effective at adsorption for medical and purification applications.
9. What are the common types of charcoal available for use as fuel?
The most common types of charcoal used as fuel are:
- Lump Charcoal: Made directly from hardwood pieces. It lights quickly, burns hotter, and produces less ash.
- Charcoal Briquettes: Manufactured by compressing sawdust and other wood by-products with binders. They burn more uniformly and for a longer duration than lump charcoal.
- Binchotan: A high-quality, dense Japanese charcoal that burns very cleanly for a long time at a consistent temperature.
10. What chemical transformation occurs when wood is converted into charcoal?
The chemical transformation is pyrolysis, which is the thermal decomposition of organic material at high temperatures in an oxygen-deprived environment. In this process, the complex organic polymers in wood, such as cellulose and lignin, break down. Volatile compounds like water, methanol, and acetic acid are driven off as gases. The remaining solid residue is charcoal, which is a much purer, but structurally disordered, form of carbon.
