Abstract: The charcoal-foam heating material is formed by combining a charcoal mixture with an aqueous surfactant and water to create a semi-homogenous charcoal-foam slurry. The slurry is poured into shaping molds so that the slurry dries into the charcoal-foam heating material. In the preferred embodiment, a concrete surfactant is used during the mixing process and the charcoal-foam slurry is formed into briquettes and used as a cooking fuel.

Abstract: A charcoal heating material, such as charcoal briquettes, includes a porous structure that facilitates the flow of oxygen about the charcoal, and thereby, enables the briquettes to ignite easily and quickly. In particular the lightweighted charcoal briquettes have a density from about 0.50 grams per cubic centimeter to about 0.80 grams per cubic centimeter. Methods of forming charcoal heating materials include mixing a rheology modifying agent and a moisture phase with a charcoal mixture to facilitate absorption of additional water into the solid matrix, providing increased porosity and lightweighting of the finished briquette after drying.

Abstract: A bioderived plasticizer for biopolymers includes a compatibilizing unit and a polyester plasticizing unit. The plasticizer improves the flexibility of biopolymers while not adversely affecting the modulus of the biopolymer. The compatibilizing unit renders the plasticizer more miscible with the desired base biopolymer, and may increase crystallization and includes a lower alkyl (C3 to C7) organic acid including enantiomeric isomers of the base polymer. The polyester plasticizing unit is formed from monomers comprising a multifunctional alcohol and an aliphatic anhydride or its equivalent dicarboxylic acid and ester derivatives. The polyester plasticizing unit may optionally include one or more difunctional alcohols in combination with the multifunctional alcohol. The resulting bioderived plasticizer lowers glass transition temperature (Tg), can improve brittleness, may increases heat deflection temperature and improves melt viscosity.

Abstract: A charcoal heating material, such as charcoal briquettes, includes a porous structure that facilitates the flow of oxygen about the charcoal, and thereby, enables the briquettes to ignite easily and quickly. In particular the lightweighted charcoal briquettes have a density from about 0.50 grams per cubic centimeter to about 0.80 grams per cubic centimeter. Methods of forming charcoal heating materials include mixing a rheology modifying agent and a moisture phase with a charcoal mixture to facilitate absorption of additional water into the solid matrix, providing increased porosity and lightweighting of the finished briquette after drying.

Abstract: The charcoal-foam heating material is formed by combining a charcoal mixture with an aqueous surfactant and water to create a semi-homogenous charcoal-foam slurry. The slurry is poured into shaping molds so that the slurry dries into the charcoal-foam heating material. In the preferred embodiment, a concrete surfactant is used during the mixing process and the charcoal-foam slurry is formed into briquettes and used as a cooking fuel.