Abstract: Briquet designs that facilitate close packing and improve burn efficiency are provided herein. Such designs can include scaled down briquet size and close packing shapes, which can include pyramidal shaped portions, such as rectangular pyramids and tetrahedron shapes, as well as oblate spheroid and hexoid shapes, to facilitate closer random packing when the briquets are randomly arranged in a pile when poured from a bag. Some briquet shapes can further include special surface features, such as flattened or rounded portions or depressions, such as dimples, that reduce volume without increasing the bulk density in order to further improve burn performance and efficiency.

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 invention provides a method for making a fuel element for a smoking article including the steps of mixing a metal-containing catalyst precursor with a filler material or graphite or a combination thereof to form a pre-treated fuel element component; optionally calcining the pre-treated fuel element component in order to convert the catalyst precursor to a catalytic metal compound; after the optional calcining step, combining the pre-treated fuel element component with a carbonaceous material and a binder to produce a fuel element composition; and forming the fuel element composition into a fuel element adapted for use in a smoking article. Examples of metal-containing catalyst precursors include iron nitrate, copper nitrate, cerium nitrate, cerium ammonium nitrate, manganese nitrate, magnesium nitrate, and zinc nitrate. Fuel elements treated according to the invention, and smoking articles including such fuel elements, are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides molded fireplace articles comprising a plurality of non-white inorganic fibers that are substantially uniformly coated with a colored metal oxide. The present invention further provides a method of manufacturing molded fireplace articles comprising: providing a plurality of non-white inorganic fibers; mixing the fibers with a binder and a liquid to form a slurry; pouring the slurry into a mold having a desired shape; and forming the slurry into a shaped article. A method of preparing non-white inorganic fibers is also provided, the method comprising the steps of: providing a colorant solution formed by dispersing or dissolving a metal compound into a carrier liquid, providing an inorganic fiber, applying the colorant solution to the inorganic fiber to form a colorant coated fiber, and heating the colorant coated fiber to a temperature sufficient to decompose the metal compound to a non-white metal oxide that is substantially uniformly coated on said fibers.

Abstract: A burnable article such as a fire log or a barbecue briquette is formed of a top fire-igniting layer, a middle fire-catching layer, and a body layer. The fire-igniting layer has a composition, in weight percent, of from about 47 to about 67 percent carbonized wood, from about 22 to about 34 percent barium nitrate, from about 3 to about 11 percent sodium nitrate, from about 3 to about 11 percent starch, from about 0.25 to about 0.65 percent zeolite, and from about 0.25 to about 0.65 percent potassium alum, the total of the constituents of the fire-igniting layer being 100 percent. The fire-catching layer has a composition, in weight percent, of from about 57 to about 67 percent carbonized wood, from about 18 to about 28 percent barium nitrate, from about 3 to about 11 percent sodium nitrate, from about 4 to about 12 percent starch, from about 0.15 to about 0.35 percent zeolite, and from about 0.15 to about 0.35 percent potassium alum, the total of the constituents of the fire-catching layer being 100 percent.

Abstract: A down burning solid fuel body including a fire-igniting layer, a fire-catching layer and a body portion, wherein the content ratio among the fire-igniting layer, fire-catching layer and body portion is 20 to 50:40 to 45:30 to 40 based on the weight ratio. The fire-igniting layer has a composition essentially consisting of 50 to 55 wt % fine charcoal, 25 to 30 wt % barium, 5 to 10 wt % potassium nitrate, 0.3 to 0.5 wt % zeolite, 0.3 to 0.5 wt % alum, and 5 to 10 wt % starch. The fire-catching layer has a composition essentially consisting of 60 to 65 wt % fine charcoal, 20 to 25 wt % barium, 5 to 10 wt % potassium nitrate, 0.1 to 0.3 wt % zeolite, 0.1 to 0.3 wt % alum, and 5 to 10 wt % starch. The body portion has a composition essentially consisting of 85 to 90 wt % fine charcoal and 10 to 15 wt % starch.