Bamboo charcoal

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Please improve this article if you can. (July 2007)

Bamboo charcoal is made up from pieces of bamboo, which are taken from plants five years or older, and burned inside an oven at temperatures over 800° C. It not only provides a new way to utilize bamboo, but also benefits to environment protection by reducing the residues pollution. Bamboo charcoal is an environmentally functional material which has excellent absorption properties.[citation needed]

Bamboo charcoal has a long history in China and has been documented as early as 1486 AD during the Ming Dynasty in Chuzhou Fu Zhi.[citation needed] Later, it was also mentioned in the Qing Dynasty during the rule of Kang Xi, Qian Long and Guang Xu.

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[edit] Production

Bamboo charcoal is made of bamboo by pyrolysis process. According to the types of raw material, bamboo charcoal can be classified as raw bamboo charcoal and bamboo briquette charcoal. Raw bamboo charcoal is made of bamboo body such as culms, branch, and root； bamboo briquette charcoal is made of bamboo residue, such as bamboo dust, saw powder, etc, by compressing the residue into certain shape sticks and carbonizing the sticks. There are two kinds of equipment for carbonization, one is brick kiln, and the other is mechanical.

[edit] Uses

Bamboo charcoal is mainly used as fuel for cooking and drying tea in China and Japan. Most bamboo charcoal for fuel is a bamboo briquette charcoal, the rest of which is raw bamboo charcoal. Bamboo material has extraordinary micro-structure: it produces high absorptive capacity after carbonization, and becomes more effective after activation.[citation needed] Bamboo charcoal can be used for purifying water, eliminating organic impurity substances and smells. Drinking water sterilized with chlorine is to be treated with bamboo charcoal to remove the residue chlorine and chlorides.

[edit] Benefits

Bamboo charcoal is known to have high porosity. Various impurities or foreign matter will be absorbed on the wide surface area of the charcoal. When air passes, and if humidity is high, the charcoal will adsorb the moisture, and air will be converted to dry. If the air is too dry, then the charcoal will discharge its moisture, thus adjusting the humidity in the air.[citation needed]

Bamboo charcoal vinegar is extracted when making charcoal and is used for hundreds of treatment on almost all aspects. This liquid contains 400 kinds of chemical elements and can be applied in many purposes such as cosmetics, insecticides, deodorants, food processing, and agriculture. Its functions are to expel smell, kill bacteria, keep health and to nourish facial and body skin.[citation needed]

[edit] Sources, references and external links