Term: carbonization
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C00840

Definition:
A process by which solid residues with increasing content of the element carbon are formed from organic material usually by pyrolysis in an inert atmosphere.

Note: As with all pyrolytic reactions, carbonization is a complex process in which many reactions take place concurrently such as dehydrogenation, condensation, hydrogen transfer and @I03295@. It differs from @C01120@ in that its reaction rate is faster by many orders of magnitude. The final @P04961@ temperature applied controls the degree of carbonization and the residual content of foreign elements, e.g. at T ∼ 1200 K the carbon content of the residue exceeds a @M03722@ of 90 wt.%, whereas at T ∼ 1600 K more than 99 wt.% carbon is found.

Related Terms:
1) isomerization (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I03295).
2) pyrolysis (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04961).
3) mass fraction (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.M03722).
4) inert (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I03026).
5) coalification (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01120).

Source: PAC, 1995, 67, 473. 'Recommended terminology for the description of carbon as a solid (IUPAC Recommendations 1995)' on page 484 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199567030473)

Citation: 'carbonization' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C00840

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