Description
 
Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents.
It is also known as coal.
In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process is called charcoal burning often by forming a charcoal kiln the heat is supplied by burning part of the starting material itself with a limited supply of oxygen.
The material can also be heated in a closed retort.
Modern "charcoal" briquettes used for outdoor cooking may contain many other additives.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution charcoal was occasionally used as a cooking fuel.
It is counted as a smokeless fuel that is the carbon is sufficiently pure that burning it causes substantially less air pollution than burning the original uncarbonized organic material would.
In the 21st century charcoal has been advocated as a way to improve the health of people burning raw biomass for cooking and or heating.