Charcoal has always been used as fuel material. However now, when gas, electricity and oil are commonly used, its production has declined. Unique characteristics of charcoal allow using it in various fields. Just recently it hasn¡¯t been used commonly, but today it attacks more and more attention. Charcoal suits perfectly for domestic use – chargrills, fireplaces, barbeques, as it is smokeless and environmentally friendly. It can also be used in manufacturing industry: nonferrous machine industry (eg. to obtain aluminum, boron, etc.); in the production of pure silicium which is used to get semi-conductors; in chemical industry; metallurgy industry as deoxidant because there is a big amount of carbon in charcoal, in the production of glass, crystal, paint, electrode, plastic and in many other fields.

Charcoal has also been used as a folk remedy as far back as recorded history. North American Indians used charcoal for the treatment of gas pains long before our forefathers came to this continent.

Homeopathic physicians have used charcoal throughout the world for more than 200 years.

Charcoal is rated in Category 1 (safe and effective) status by the FDA for acute toxic poisoning.

Charcoal has been an official remedy in the United States for at least 100 years, and was eliminated from the U.S. Pharmacopoeia about 1950, not because it was ineffective, but because of its general disuse in American medicine following the phenomenal growth of the drug industry.

The light and fluffy black powder of charcoal has been used as a officially recognized antidote since the 19th century.

It is easy to make by a destructive distillation of organic materials such as wood pulp, petroleum coke, coals, peat, sawdust, wood char, paper mill waste, bone, and coconut shells.

Any kind of wood such as willow, eucalyptus, pine, oak and others are adequate sources of wood charcoal. Charcoals made from vegetable materials such as wood and coal contains about 90% carbon.