what is charcoal made of

Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. The black color of charcoal comes from the carbon left behind after the wood has been heated. Charcoal is made from wood that has been heated in the absence of oxygen. This process drives off the water and other volatile compounds, leaving a lightweight, porous material with high carbon content. The process of making charcoal is ancient, with archaeological evidence of charcoal production going back about 30,000 years. There are different types of charcoal, including lump charcoal and briquettes. Lump charcoal is made from whole chunks of wood that have been charred, while briquettes are made from sawdust and other wood scraps that have been compressed and held together with binders. Regardless of whether you use lump charcoal or briquettes, they start out as wood that is burnt. The trick to making charcoal is to burn enough of the wood to release the moisture while leaving a product that is nearly pure carbon.