charcoal

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charcoal Porous form of carbon, made traditionally by heating wood in the absence of air, and used in western Europe until late medieval times for smelting iron ore. Today, charcoal is chiefly used for its absorptive properties, to decolourize food liquids such as syrups, and to separate chemicals. Artists use charcoal sticks for sketching. The porous activated charcoal is used in gas masks.

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