Is Carbon Flammable?

Carbon is flammable and has a very high burning temperature of up to 4,890 degrees Fahrenheit. This material is present in nearly all life on Earth and is found in air and water and is mined from the Earth.

Pure carbon can be found in the form of diamonds or graphite. This molecule is flammable but, at a very high temperature. Other materials made from mostly carbon, such as charcoal, are used regularly as fuel and for metal smelting due to this high burning point. Even diamonds can burn with the addition of pure oxygen and a high-heat flame, such as from welder’s torch. Burning carbon in the presence of oxygen produces carbon dioxide as a by-product.

ADVERTISEMENT