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Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non- aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something
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Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non- aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns Burns may refer to:
* Burn, an injury (plural)
People:
* Burns (surname), includes list of people and characters
Business:
* Burns London, a British guitar maker
Places:
;In the United States
* Burns, Colorado, unincorporated community in Eagle ...
. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical sample
In general, a sample is a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount of that thing(s). The things could be countable objects such as individual items available as units for sale, or an unc ...
s, ash is the non- gaseous, non-liquid
A liquid is a nearly incompressible fluid that conforms to the shape of its container but retains a (nearly) constant volume independent of pressure. As such, it is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, gas, a ...
residue after complete combustion.
Ashes as the end product of incomplete combustion are mostly mineral, but usually still contain an amount of combustible organic
Organic may refer to:
* Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity
* Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ
Chemistry
* Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...
or other oxidizable residues. The best-known type of ash is wood ash, as a product of wood combustion in campfires, fireplaces, etc. The darker the wood ashes, the higher the content of remaining charcoal
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. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...
from incomplete combustion. The ashes are of different types. Some ashes contain natural compound
A natural product is a natural compound or substance produced by a living organism—that is, found in nature. In the broadest sense, natural products include any substance produced by life. Natural products can also be prepared by chemical syn ...
s that make soil fertile
Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertilit ...
. Others have chemical compounds that can be toxic but may break up in soil from chemical changes and microorganism activity.
Like soap, ash is also a disinfecting
A disinfectant is a chemical substance or compound used to inactivate or destroy microorganisms on inert surfaces. Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores; it is less effective than st ...
agent (alkaline
In chemistry, an alkali (; from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is a base (chemistry), basic, ionic compound, ionic salt (chemistry), salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as ...
). The World Health Organization recommends ash or sand as alternative when soap is not available.WHO 2014: Water Sanitation Health. How can personal hygiene be maintained in difficult circumstances? Accessed Oct. 201/ref>
Natural occurrence
Ash occurs naturally from any fire that burns vegetation, and may disperse in the soil to fertilise it, or clump under it for long enough to carbonise into coal.Specific types
* Wood ash * Products of coal combustion **Bottom ash
Bottom ash is part of the non-combustible residue of combustion in a power plant, boiler, furnace or incinerator. In an industrial context, it has traditionally referred to coal combustion and comprises traces of combustibles embedded in formin ...
** Fly ash
Fly ash, flue ash, coal ash, or pulverised fuel ash (in the UK) plurale tantum: coal combustion residuals (CCRs)is a coal combustion product that is composed of the particulates (fine particles of burned fuel) that are driven out of coal-fired ...
* Cigarette or cigar ash
Cigar ash is the ash produced by a cigar as it is smoked.
Smoking
Connoisseurs of cigars disagree as to whether the quality of a cigar may be determined from the appearance of its ash.
Uses
Cigar ash may be mixed with chalk to make a dentifrice ...
* Incinerator bottom ash, a form of ash produced in incinerators
* Ashes and dried bone fragments, or "cremains", left from cremation
* Volcanic ash, ash that consists of fragmented glass, rock, and minerals that appears during an eruption.
See also
* Ash (analytical chemistry) *Cinereous
Cinereous is a colour, meaning ashy grey in appearance, either consisting of or resembling ashes, or a grey colour tinged with coppery brown. It is derived from the Latin ''cinereus'', from ''cinis'' (ashes).
The first recorded use of ''cin ...
, consisting of ashes, ash-colored or ash-like
* Potash, a term for many useful potassium salts that traditionally derived from plant ashes, but today are typically mined from underground deposits
* coal, consisting of carbon as ash, and ash can be converted into coal
* carbon, basic component of ashes
References
{{Authority control Combustion