Charcoal

Charcoal is obtained by pyrolysis of wood without air access. In fact, almost all volatile components and almost all moisture are removed from firewood using dry distillation. More than 80% of the remaining mass is pure carbon, which actually burns hot and smokelessly, releasing an abundance of heat and not producing a flame. Since ancient times, people have discovered the benefits of charcoal and began to widely use it for their own purposes.

Applications of charcoal

Nowadays, charcoal is used in metallurgy, chemical and many other industries. But in addition to various industries, charcoal has also become widespread in our everyday lives. In particular, charcoal is widely used for cooking on a grill, barbecue, braziers, etc. And there are many good reasons for this. For example, charcoal is most often used for braziers and barbecues, because during combustion, it does not emit carbon monoxide, and as a result, the buyer receives charcoal on which you can safely cook food on a brazier or grill. In addition, the calorific value of charcoal is an order of magnitude higher than that of ordinary firewood. It is worth noting another unique property of charcoal - smoldering. Unlike wood, charcoal does not burn with a large flame, but smolders, forming a hot heat. This makes the use of this fuel both safer and has a positive effect on cooking from a culinary point of view. That is why charcoal for barbecues and grills is ideal for cooking food over an open fire in restaurants, cafes and simply on country vacations.

Chemical additives

Our company produces charcoal without adding any chemical additives. It is worth noting that the addition of chemicals is often associated with cheaper or better characteristics of charcoal. However, high-quality charcoal does not require chemical additives and is produced only by thermal decomposition of wood. If environmental friendliness and safety are important when buying charcoal, you should choose products without chemical additives.

Chemical additives are added to charcoal production mainly for the following reasons, however, this is more often the case for low-quality or specialized products:

1. Speeding up the production process
   Some manufacturers use chemical additives to speed up pyrolysis (thermal treatment of wood). This reduces production time, but worsens the quality of the charcoal.
2. Increasing density and calorific value
   Substances that increase the carbon content are sometimes added to increase the calorific value. However, this reduces the environmental friendliness of the product.
3. Improving combustion
   Additives such as saltpeter (potassium nitrate) can be used to facilitate ignition or maintain stable combustion of the charcoal. This is used in grilling charcoal and shashlik charcoal.
4. Gluing fines together
   In the production of compressed charcoal (briquettes), binders (such as starch or chemical adhesives) are added to bind the fine particles of charcoal together into strong briquettes.
5. Reducing ash
   Some additives help reduce ash formation or ash stickiness, so that the charcoal remains clean when used.
6. Flavoring
   Flavoring agents are sometimes added to grilling charcoal to impart a certain smell (such as “smoky”) to the food being cooked.
7. Cost Reduction
   Chemical additives can be used to reduce the cost of the production process or to replace higher-quality raw materials.

Risks of Using Supplements

• Air Pollution: When burning, chemicals release toxic substances that are harmful to health and the environment.
• Effect on food taste: When using charcoal with additives, food may get an unpleasant taste.
• Environmental Impact: The use of chemical additives reduces the environmental safety of charcoal.