At approximately 572 degrees, the organic components in bone begin to carbonize, turning black or dusty brown. As the temperature reaches around 1400 degrees, the bones become darker black.
The black in ash is carbon, and eventually (if the fire is hot enough) that all burns away, leaving carbonates, oxides, phosphates, etc., of those metals (possibly some chlorides, but many of those will have broken downs. So when the carbon is gone, the ash is white.
Cremation ashes are made of crushed bone fragments. The cremation process applies extreme heat (1500-1800 degrees Fahrenheit) to the decedent's body, incinerating everything except the bones.
It's a grainier substance that is more like coarse sand. That's because it's crushed bones, along with small amounts of salts and other minerals. They range in color from a pasty white to a deep gray.
The processing of the fragments generates a uniform, pale grey to dark grey powder which is usually similar in texture and appearance to coarse sand.
The body does not feel pain during cremation because the person is no longer alive. When a person dies, their brain stops sending signals to the body. This means that the person cannot feel pain or any other sensation.
Since all of the organic matter is burned away during cremation, this is why ashes can last (almost) forever - or at least for our entire lifetime. Bones are still DNA and scientists believe that DNA has survived for about one million years.
Is it safe to touch cremated remains? A.) While it is safe, remains can get stuck to your skin quite easily. It's best to wear gloves or use a spoon to scoop out remains before scattering.
The only parts of the body that are removed before cremation are artificial ones like a medical device or implant with a battery, silicone, pins, radiation pressurization, pacemakers, and large hip, knee, and shoulder replacements along with any external jewelry.
As a general rule, it is disrespectful to open an urn contrary to the decedent's wishes or beliefs, or for your own curiosity or benefit. You can be confident that you are treating your loved one with proper respect if you are opening the urn to follow their instructions (for scattering, etc) or to honor their memory.
The law considers ashes to be the same as a body, so is unwilling to rule for separating them amongst different parties.
What's really returned to you is the person's skeleton. Once you burn off all the water, soft tissue, organs, skin, hair, cremation container/casket, etc., what you're left with is bone. When complete, the bones are allowed to cool to a temperature that they can be handled and are placed into a processing machine.
Only one body can be cremated at once, and all cremated remains must be cleared from the cremation chamber before another cremation can begin. These standards do mean that you may have little input into any 'customization' of a cremation process.
The actual ashes are thus useless as they will not contain DNA. It is the bones and teeth that could potentially hold some DNA viable for analysis. However, after the cremation, the bones and teeth left behind are turned into a find powder (a process known as pulverization).
The color of these cremated remains range from almost completely black to stark white, with all shades of gray in between as well as oddities such as green, red, yellow, brown and slightly bluish.
Do teeth burn during cremation? Teeth usually burn up during the cremation process. Tooth fragments that are not burnt up will be ground during the ash processing.
Why do families need to wait? These different state laws are based on the typical amount of time it takes to complete authorizations, like issuing a death certificate. Because the crematorium needs the death certificate before they can cremate the body, this delays the process and is built into the waiting period.
Only one body is cremated at a time since there is only enough space for one casket in a chamber. After each cremation, the chamber is cleared before the next incineration.
A: The eyes usually start to flatten after death. Think of an old grape. They do, however, remain with the decedent. We don't remove them.
You certainly can! There are several regulations governing ash spreading, but none governing ash division. Following a loved one's cremation, some families prefer to split the ashes.
If you are concerned that the ashes will smell after the cremation, the answer is no. There is no odor emitted from ashes that have been properly cremated. Even over time, you shouldn't expect any particular smells to develop. If anything, certain cremation containers will simply emit a slight incense-like smell.
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven. So there's no need to worry, if God can create life from dust, surely he can restore life from ashes.
Cremations last between one and three hours with cooling taking a further one or two hours. This depends on cremation temperatures, the size of the deceased, and coffin material.
Can Two People's Ashes Be Mixed Together? Also known as commingling, mixing cremated remains is illegal unless it is specifically requested by the deceased. This simply comes down to a matter of personal preference of the deceased.
Are organs removed before cremation? Removing organs before cremation does not happen. Even if an autopsy has been performed, the organs are cremated.