Carbon

:Alternative meaning: Carbon (API)

Applications

Carbon is a vital component of all known living systems, and without it life as we know it could not exist (see carbon chauvinism). The major economic use of carbon is in the form of hydrocarbons, most notably the fossil fuels methane gas and crude oil (petroleum). Crude oil is used by the petrochemical industry to produce, amongst others, gasoline and kerosene, through a distillation process, in refineries. Crude oil forms the raw material for many synthetic substances, many of which are collectively called plastics.

Related Topics:
Carbon chauvinism - Fossil fuel - Methane - Crude oil - Petrochemical industry - Gasoline - Kerosene - Distillation - Refineries - Plastic

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Other uses

• The isotope Carbon-14 was discovered in February 27 1940 and is used in radiocarbon dating.
• Some smoke detectors use tiny amounts of a radioactive isotope of carbon as source of ionizing radiation. (Most smoke detectors of this type use an isotope of americium.)
• Graphite is combined with clays to form the 'lead' used in pencils.
• Diamond is used for decorative purposes, and also as drill bits and other applications making use of its hardness.
• Carbon is added to iron to make steel.
• Carbon is used as a neutron moderator in nuclear reactors.
• Graphite carbon in a powdered, caked form is used as charcoal for cooking, artwork and other uses.
• Charcoal pills are used in medicine in pill or powder form to adsorb toxins or poisons from the digestive system.

The chemical and structural properties of fullerenes, in the form of carbon nanotubes, has promising potential uses in the nascent field of nanotechnology. Nanoparticles might however be toxic.

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