Term: char https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C00974 Definition: A solid decompostion product of a natural or synthetic organic material. Note: If the precursor has not passed through a fluid stage, char will retain the characteristic shape of the precursor (although becoming of smaller size). For such materials the term 'pseudomorphous' has been used. Some simple organic compounds, e.g. sugar, melt at an early stage of @D01547@ and then polymerize during @C00840@ to produce chars. Related Terms: 1) decomposition (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.D01547). 2) carbonization (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C00840). 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: 'char' 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.C00974 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.