Cremation Process

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me.
The Carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.
~ Emily Dickinson

Death of a loved one can be very devastating. But, no matter, how difficult the entire process is, you will have to take care of the last rituals to bid your loved one good bye. Cremation is an alternative to burial. In some cultures like Hinduism mandate cremation while some people choose it for personal reasons.

Cremation Process

Before the cremation process starts, ensure that you have completed all rituals and ceremonies. Further, all authorization papers must be duly filled and signed by the concerned people. In some states and provinces, a waiting period of 48 hours from the time of the death is mandatory before the cremation process can be started.

The body to be cremated is placed in a cremation casket made of wood or a cremation container that is basically a cardboard box that has plywood at the bottom to provide sturdiness.

The family must inform the funeral home before hand if a pacemaker, prosthesis or any mechanical or radioactive device or implants are present in the body of the deceased. These have to be removed before the cremation can take place as there is a possibility that it may explode during the cremation process and can cause damage to the cremation chamber. The funeral operator will place an identification tag in the casket that will help identify the remains correctly after the cremation is completed.

Next, the casket containing the body is placed in the cremation chamber after all jewelry has been removed. The walls and the ceilings of the chamber are lined with fire resistant bricks, while the floor is composed of a special compound that can withstand very high temperatures. Once the casket has been placed inside the chamber, the door of the chamber is sealed shut.

The machine is started by the crematory operator which first warms up before starting the main burning process. Once the machine is warmed up, the main burner is ignited which begins the process of incinerating the body. The temperature inside the chamber is as high as 2000F. The main burner uses either natural gas or propane.

It takes about 2 hours for a body to be reduced to just bone fragments. A large part of the body that is the organs and soft tissues are vaporized and oxidized due to the heat and the gases produced are released via an exhaust system. Once the entire process is completed, the chamber is allowed to cool down for an hour before proceeding further. When the chamber cools down sufficiently, the bone fragments are removed and placed in a separate work area. Here, all metal objects like screws, nails, titanium limbs are removed with a magnet or by hand. A circumstance that cannot be avoided here is that the little residues left in the body mix with subsequent cremations.

The remaining bone fragments are places in a special processor known as the cremulator which pulverizes the bone fragments into a fine powder known as ‘cremains’ (a portmanteau of ‘cremations’ along with ‘remains’) commonly known as the ashes. The ashes are placed in a temporary urn and are returned to the family. If you wish, you can request the funeral home and they can make arrangements for you to watch the cremation after you have signed a waiver to protect it from any liability. You can perform an earth burial of the cremains or it can also be scattered on a private property or a place that was significant to the deceased. Please check with the local authorities before you do so as some states prohibit scattering of cremains on private properties.

Although, opting for a burial or cremation is a completely personal decision, if money does happen to be a constraint, then cremation can be opted for as the cost is far less when compared to a burial. The cost of a grave site is much higher than the fee that is charged for cremation. In addition to this, the cost of the casket is also involved.

At the end of the day, the choice between a burial and a cremation is a personal choice unless the religion of the deceases mandates a particular form of funeral. I hope that this article has provided you with sufficient information about the cremation process.