Uses of Charcoal

Domestic Uses

Charcoal is widely used as a household fuel for preparing food. It is also popularly uesd as a fuel in barbecues and has
 little competition in this market. Charcoal are also used ub areas like horticulture to improve plant growth and in arts for
 drawing. Other uses can be using Charcoals as decorations, etc. The rising price of oil and gas based energy and the
 growth of population causes the demand for charcoal to rise constantly.

Industrial Uses

As an industrial fuel, charcoal is almost indispensable especially in metallurgy and as an adsorbent. Due to the
development of the chemical industry and the increasing concern with the control of the environment, the application of
charcoal for purification of industrial waste has increase markedly.

Some Industrial Applications of charcoal:

1)      Chemical Industry    
                        - Carbon disulphide
                        - Sodium cyanide
                        - Metallic carbides
                        - Silicon carbide

2)   Metallurgy
                        - Smelting and sintering iron ores
                        - Case hardening of steel
                        - Purification agent in smelting non ferrous metals
                        - Fuel in foundry cupolas
                        - Electric furnace electrodes

3)   Metal Extaction
                        - Charcoal has strong reducing properties. When heated with metallic ores containing oxides and
              sulphides, the carbon readily combines with oxygen and sulphur, facilitating metal extraction.
                        - Iron smelting
                        - High purity irons
                        - Production of ferro-silicon and pure silicon
                        - Sintering and ore benefication

4)   Gas Generator
                        - Producer gas for vehicles and carbonation of soft drinks. Most producer gas is made from coal
             or coke but the optimum furl is Charcoal as it is low in ash and produces a clean gas free of tars.
             Its energy content is also comparable to good quality coal.

5)   Miscellaneous Uses
                        - Charcoal is used for controlling infections of the digestive tract.
                        - Animal feeds are sometimes supplemented with charcoal fines to control certain diseases.
                        - Soil conditioners
                        - Tobacco curing
                        - Fruit drying
                        - Arts and printing industry
                        - Fireworks
                        - Black powder explosive