Charcoal is a fuel that has been used for centuries because of its versatility, affordability, and relative ease of use. It has been used for everything from cooking and heating to smelting metals, and more recently it has been used in the production of activated carbon and carbon black. In all of these applications, charcoal is used in the form of “briquettes” that are compressed and formed through a process that is similar to extrusion.
In the charcoal briquetting process, charcoal and other fuel sources, such as sawdust and wood chips, are mixed together in an appropriate ratio and then compressed under high pressure. This compression causes the particles to bind together, creating a compact and solid shape that can be easily manipulated and handled. The result of this process is a charcoal briquette, which is a wood-like material that is capable of sustained burning, thereby providing a form of fuel for a variety of uses.
The quality of a charcoal briquette is determined by its energy density, which is the amount of energy contained within each piece of charcoal. This is measured in terms of joules, which are defined as the amount of energy necessary to raise one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. The higher the joules, the more energy is contained within and the greater the potential power that is produced when the briquette is ignited. Generally, the higher the energy density, the higher the intensity of the heat produced.
Charcoal briquettes are generally rated on the basis of their “briquetting strength” which is measured in terms of the compressive force required to deform a briquette from its original shape. This measure of the briquettes strength is important because it determines its ability to hold together during ignition and burning. The higher the briquetting strength, the greater the charcoals resistance to being broken apart during burning and the more intense the heat generated. Traditionally, the briquetting strength of a charcoal briquette is measured by the amount of pressure that must be applied to deform a sample of the material. In general, the higher the pressure required, the stronger the briquette.
The briquetting strength is important when it comes to fueling mechanical processes through the burning of briquettes. In the production of activated carbon and carbon black, the burning of charcoal briquettes is used to heat the material to a high temperature and the quality of the product is largely dependent on the briquetting strength of the fuel used. In order to achieve the desired results, a charcoal briquette must be capable of delivering a specific amount of heat energy, in terms of its energy density, and a specific amount of pressure in terms of its briquetting strength. For this reason, the briquetting strength of the charcoal briquettes used in these types of processes must be carefully controlled.
The briquetting strength of a charcoal briquette can vary significantly depending on the composition of the fuel used in the briquetting process and the amount of pressure applied during the process. In general, the more pressure applied during briquetting, the higher the briquetting strength. For this reason, the briquetting strength of a charcoal briquette used for producing activated carbon and carbon black should be in the range of 2500 joules or higher in order to obtain the desired result.
