Birchwood charcoal

Long time ago in ancient Egypt charcoal was used for “absolution of the body and soul from sin”.

A charcoal-based purification method was described by Hippocrates in his works in 40 BC.

Activated charcoal made of birchwood was used in medicine in Ancient Russia.

Ancient Romans used charcoal to purify drinking water, beer and wine.

Since the 18^th century activated charcoal has been used as a powerful antidote which effectively binds poisons penetrating the gastrointestinal tract.

At the end of the 18^th century scientists already knew that carbolene effectively adsorbs various gases, vapours and dissolved substances. People noticed that several charcoals placed into a pot in which they cooked their dinner adsorbed flavours and odours which remained after cooking.

In 1773 a German chemist Carl Scheele reported effectiveness of charcoal for adsorption gases. Later scientists found that charcoal also can discolour liquids.

In 1785 a pharmacist T.E. Lovits from Saint-Petersburg, who later became an academician, was the first to notice the ability of charcoal to purify alcohols. On the basis of findings he got in the process of multiple experiments, he explained that mere shaking of wine with charcoal powder added to it makes the wine much purer and improves its quality.

In 1794 charcoal was first used at a sugar refinery in England.

In 1808 in France charcoal was first used for clarification of sugar syrup.

In 1811 workers involved manufacturing black shoe polish found out the ability of bone char to discolor substances.

In 1830 a pharmacist who did a self-experiment took one gram of strychnine and survived as he took 15 grams of activated charcoal at the same time, which adsorbed the deadly poison.

In 1915 a Russian scientist Nikolay Zelinsky invented the first ever filtering carbon gas mask. In 1916 this invention was put to use by military forces of the Entente. Activated charcoal was used in the gas masks as the major adsorbing material.

Commercial enterprises started producing activated charcoal at the beginning of the 20th century.

The first lot of activated charcoal powder was produced in Europe in 1909.

Charcoal is highly carbonic hard porous material which is obtained in the process of heating wood without access of air (or in presence of minor amounts of air).

One cub. m of wood is required to produce 140-180 kg of charcoal, 280-400 kg of liquid products, and about 80 kg of combustible gases.

Charcoal (description):

Recommended scope of use of charcoal:
Charcoal is used in grilles, braziers, hibachi grills, barbecue grills, etc.;
Charcoal is used as fuel in heaters, fireplaces, railway cars, and workmen’s cabins; and
Charcoal is used in manufacturing non-ferrous metals, glass and crystal.

Charcoal combustion heat is 30000 to 35000 kJ/kg (7000 to 8100 kcal/kg);
Birchwood charcoal density is 380 kg/m³; pine (300 kg/m³) and fur-tree (260 kg/m³) charcoals are less dense;
High porosity of charcoal preconditions its good adsorption properties. Charcoal can combine with air oxygen at normal ambient temperatures. Thus, cases of self-combustion of charcoal are attributable to this capability of the material;
Humidity of charcoal removed from furnaces and retorts is 2 to 4%;
Charcoal ash content shall not exceed 3%; and
Charcoal is characterized by low content of such admixtures as phosphorus and sulfur and, thus, this material plays the key role in some metallurgical processes.