Uses of Carbon

Carbon is the 6th most abundant element found in the universe, and it has a variety of purposes and uses in our everyday lives. It can be found in group 14 of the Periodic Table, and the atomic number of carbon is 6. The uses of carbon, which is a non-metallic element, can be understood better once the properties of the element become clear.

The primary source of carbon in today's world is from deposits of coal that are mined, and carbon is known to be a very stable element. There are 3 allotropes of carbon that are found naturally - graphite, diamonds and amorphous. The quality that highlights the many uses is that this element can combine with almost any other element and form a variety of many useful compounds. The most commonly found compound of carbon is water, which is formed when oxygen combines with hydrogen.

Common Uses

In its elemental form, carbon may have very limited uses. But this element has the ability to manifest itself into a very useful substance for a number of things once it combines with another element. Here are some of the commonly found uses of this element.

• Used as a decorative tool in jewelry items.
• Used as a base for the ink that is used in inkjet printers.
• Used in the rims of automobiles as a black fume pigment.
• Vegetal carbon, is sometimes used as a bleaching agent or a gas absorbent.
• Carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) is also used in carbonated and fizzy drinks, fire extinguishers, and also as dry ice when they are in a solid state.
• In metallurgy, carbon monoxide is also utilized as a reduction agent in order to derive many other elements and compounds.
• Carbon in the form of 'Freon' is also used in cooling devices and systems.
• Many metal cutters and heat resistant tools and devices are also manufactured with carbon.

Uses of The Element Graphite
Graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon that is used for many different purposes. Out of all the materials that are found in nature, graphite is one of the softest substances. Here are the primary uses of graphite.

• Used as a lubricant.
• Used as lead in pencils.
• In the form of coke, used in the production process of steel.

Uses of The Element Diamond
Along with the many industrial uses, there are a number of commercial uses of this element. The most obvious of these uses, is when you consider the value and the importance of diamonds, which is another allotrope of the element. There is a great history and tradition behind diamonds, and they have also been the cause of full-fledged wars between nations. Their preciousness and rarity among the class of valuable gemstones is unquestioned, and this can be seen in the cost of a rather small piece of the crystalline rock. Diamonds are the complete opposite of graphite, and are one of the hardest substances that you can find. As a result of this they are also used in the manufacture of many devices that are used for cutting purposes.

Uses in the Human Body
Apart from all these uses, the human body also requires carbon at almost every stage of its development and existence. Carbon acts as a macronutrient for the body, and is thus greatly required. This fact is substantiated by the fact that every part of the body contains and requires large amounts of this element. This element is used as a building block for many increasingly complex and important life processes. It is the carbon present in our bodies that brings the many diverse atoms inside the body together, and makes them perform activities that benefit growth, in a cohesive manner.

Carbon Dating
This is a method that is commonly used to find the age of many fossils and minerals that have been around for many centuries. A radioactive isotope of carbon, known as carbon-14, is used for the purpose of carrying out this activity. Things that were formerly living things can be accurately dated back to their origins using this technique.

The number of compounds that are formed by carbon atoms are around ten million. An entire branch of chemistry known as organic chemistry is devoted to the study of the properties and uses of carbon in its many forms. The benefits of carbon for the human body and for many other industrial purposes are unmatched, and all these properties combined make carbon a very essential element for sustaining human life.