Editing Cremation (section)

== Modern process ==
[[File:Verbrennung eines Toten in einem Krematorium 2009-09-05.JPG|thumb|Cremation of a [[Cadaver|human corpse]] inside an electric cremator]]
The cremation occurs in a cremator, which is located at a ''crematorium'' or ''crematory''. In many countries, the crematorium is a venue for funerals as well as cremation.<ref name="arch-review"/>

A cremator is an industrial [[Industrial furnace|furnace]] that is able to generate temperatures of {{convert|871|–|982|C|F|-1}} to ensure the disintegration of the corpse.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cremationresource.org/cremation/how-is-a-body-cremated.html|title = How is a Body Cremated? – Cremation Resource}}</ref> Modern cremator fuels include [[fuel oil|oil]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/profile/latest/esb102.pdf|title=Project Profile of re-provisioning of Diamond Hill Crematorium.|publisher=Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong|access-date=5 April 2011}}</ref> [[natural gas]], [[propane]], and, in Hong Kong, [[coal gas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/report/eiareport/eia_0632001/EX-SUM/html/Ex-Sum03.htm|title=Proposed replacement of cremators at Fu Shan Crematorium, Shatin.|publisher=Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong|access-date=5 April 2011}}</ref> Modern cremators automatically monitor their interior to tell when the cremation process is complete and have a spyhole so that an operator can see inside.<ref name="cambs"/> The time required for cremation varies from body to body, with the average being 90 minutes for an adult body.<ref name="cambs"/>

The chamber where the body is placed is called a ''cremation chamber'' or ''retort'' and is lined with heat-resistant [[refractory]] bricks. Refractory bricks are designed in several layers. The outermost layer is usually simply an insulation material, ''e.g.'', [[mineral wool]]. Inside is typically a layer of insulation brick, mostly calcium silicate in nature. Heavy duty cremators are usually designed with two layers of fire bricks inside the insulation layer. The layer of fire bricks in contact with the combustion process protects the outer layer and must be replaced from time to time.<ref name="Schacht">{{citation|author=Schacht, Charles A.|title=Refractories Handbook|publisher=Marcel Dekker |year=2004}}</ref>

The body is generally required to be inside a coffin or a combustible container.<ref name="cambs">{{cite news|url=https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/what-happens-body-cremated-cremation-15139164|newspaper=Cambridge News|title=This is exactly what happens to your body when it is cremated and how long it takes to burn|date=12 September 2018|access-date=4 January 2020}}</ref> This allows the body to be quickly and safely slid into the cremator. It also reduces health risks to the operators. The coffin or container is inserted (charged) into the cremator as quickly as possible to avoid heat loss. Some crematoria allow relatives to view the charging. This is sometimes done for religious reasons, such as in traditional [[Hindu]] and [[Jain]] funerals,<ref name="carlson1997">{{cite book| last = Carlson| first = Lisa| title = Caring for the Dead| year = 1997| publisher = Upper Access, Inc.| isbn = 0-942679-21-0| page = [https://archive.org/details/caringfordeadyou00carl/page/78 78]| url = https://archive.org/details/caringfordeadyou00carl/page/78}}</ref> and is also customary in [[Japan]].<ref name="arch-review"/>

=== Body container ===
{{more citations needed section|date=April 2018}}
[[File:Chan Kusalo cremation 51.jpg|thumb|upright|A relic found amid the ashes of Chan Kusalo (the Buddhist Patriarch of Northern Thailand) is placed inside a [[Stupa|chedi]] shaped vial and displayed inside [[Wat Chedi Luang]] in [[Chiang Mai]].]]
In the United States federal law does not dictate any container requirements for cremation. Certain states require an opaque or non-transparent container for all cremations. This can be a simple corrugated cardboard box or a wooden casket ([[coffin]]). Another option is a cardboard box that fits inside a wooden shell, which is designed to look like a traditional casket. After the funeral service, the box is removed from the shell before cremation, permitting the shell to be re-used.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cremationinstitute.com/cremation-process|title=The Cremation Process Guide: What You Need To Know In 2017|date=16 April 2017|work=Cremation Institute|access-date=17 November 2017}}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, the body is not removed from the coffin and is not placed into a container as described above. The body is cremated with the coffin<ref>{{cite news|title=cremation process in the uk|url=https://www.urnsforashes.co.uk/cremation-process/|access-date=3 August 2018|date=3 August 2018}}</ref> which is why all British coffins that are to be used for cremation must be combustible. The Code of Cremation Practice<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fbca.org.uk/code-of-cremation-practice|title=Code of Cremation Practice|access-date=3 August 2018}}</ref> forbids the opening of the coffin once it has arrived at the crematorium, and rules stipulate that it must be cremated within 72 hours of the funeral service.<ref name="doncaster.gov.uk">[http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/Living_in_Doncaster/Cemeteries_Crematorium/Code_of_Cremation_Practice.asp Code of Cremation Practice] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409220820/http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/Living_in_Doncaster/Cemeteries_Crematorium/Code_of_Cremation_Practice.asp |date=9 April 2009 }}, Doncaster: Cemeteries, Crematorium, retrieved 26 November 2009</ref> Therefore, in the United Kingdom, bodies are cremated in the same coffin that they are placed in at the undertaker's, although the regulations allow the use of an approved "cover" during the funeral service.<ref name="doncaster.gov.uk"/> It is recommended that jewellery be removed before the coffin is sealed, for this reason. When cremation is finished, the remains are passed through a magnetic field to remove any metal, which will be interred elsewhere in the crematorium grounds or, increasingly, recycled.<ref>{{cite news|title=Melting down hips and knees: The afterlife of implants|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16877393|work=BBC News|access-date=21 February 2012|date=21 February 2012}}</ref> The ashes are entered into a cremulator<ref>{{cite news|title=cremulator|url=https://dfweurope.com/cremulator/|access-date=3 August 2018|date=3 August 2018}}</ref> to further grind the remains down into a finer texture before being given to relatives or loved ones or scattered in the crematorium grounds where facilities exist.{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}}

In Germany, the process is mostly similar to that of the United Kingdom. The body is cremated in the coffin. A piece of fire clay with a number on it is used for identifying the remains of the dead body after burning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gesetze-rechtsprechung.sh.juris.de/jportal/portal/t/jww/page/bsshoprod.psml?pid=Dokumentanzeige&showdoccase=1&js_peid=Trefferliste&documentnumber=1&numberofresults=1&fromdoctodoc=yes&doc.id=jlr-BestattGSH2005V1IVZ&doc.part=X&doc.price=0.0#jlr-BestattGSH2005pP17|title=Gesetz über das Leichen-, Bestattungs- und Friedhofswesen des Landes Schleswig-Holstein (Bestattungsgesetz – BestattG) vom 4. Februar 2005, §17 Abs. 4|publisher=Ministerium für Justiz, Gleichstellung und Integration|access-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> The remains are then placed in a container called an ''ash capsule'', which generally is put into a cinerary urn.

In Australia, reusable or cardboard coffins are rare, with only a few manufacturers now supplying them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acremation.com/cremation-containers|title=Containers for Cremation – aCremation|website=Acremation.com|access-date=3 October 2017|archive-date=24 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124014414/https://www.acremation.com/cremation-containers|url-status=dead}}</ref> For low cost, a plain, particle-board coffin (known in the trade as a "chippie", "shipper" or "pyro") can be used. Handles (if fitted) are plastic and approved for use in a cremator.

Cremations can be "delivery only", with no preceding chapel service at the crematorium (although a church service may have been held) or preceded by a service in one of the crematorium chapels. Delivery-only allows crematoria to schedule cremations to make best use of the cremators, perhaps by holding the body overnight in a refrigerator, allowing a lower fee to be charged.

=== Burning and ash collection ===
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Schamottestein.jpg|(Germany) A piece of [[fire clay]] used for identifying the ash after burning the dead body
File:UrneGeschlossen.jpg|(Germany) A cinerary urn. The laces are used to lower the urn into the ground
File:UrneOffenAschenkapsel.jpg|(Germany) A sealed cinerary urn, showing the ash capsule containing the remains of the dead, along with the name and dates
File:AschenkapselGeschlossen.jpg|(Germany) The ash capsule
File:AschenkapselOffen.jpg|(Germany) An open ash capsule showing the remains of the dead
File:Feuerbestattung.jpg|(Germany) Ash capsule and cinerary urn after 15 years
</gallery>

The box containing the body is placed in the retort and [[Incineration|incinerated]] at a temperature of {{convert|760 to 1150|°C}}. During the cremation process, the greater portion of the body (especially the organs and other soft tissues) is [[vaporized]] and [[Oxidation|oxidized]] by the intense heat; gases released are discharged through the exhaust system.

Jewelry, such as necklaces, wrist-watches and rings, are ordinarily removed before cremation, and returned to the family. Several implanted devices are required to be removed. [[Pacemaker]]s and other medical devices can cause large, dangerous explosions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gale |first1=Christopher P |last2=Mulley |first2=Graham P |date=July 2002 |title=Pacemaker explosions in crematoria: problems and possible solutions |journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine |language=en |volume=95 |issue=7 |pages=353–355 |doi=10.1258/jrsm.95.7.353 |pmid=12091510 |pmc=1279940 }}</ref>  In the Netherlands these are removed by either the undertaker or the hospital where the person died.<ref name="green2006">{{cite book| last = Green| first = Jennifer|author2=Green, Michael| title = Dealing With Death: Practices and Procedures| year = 2006| publisher = Jessica Kingsley Publishers| isbn = 1-84310-381-8| pages = 112 }}</ref>

Contrary to popular belief, the cremated remains are not ashes in the usual sense. After the incineration is completed, the dry bone fragments are swept out of the retort and pulverised by a machine called a ''Cremulator''—essentially a high-capacity, high-speed [[Pulverizer]] —to process them into "ashes" or "cremated remains",<ref name="green2006" /><ref>"Cremulator" is a trademark of DWF Europe.</ref> although pulverisation may also be performed by hand. This leaves the bone with a fine sand like texture and color, able to be scattered without need for mixing with any foreign matter,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.patents.com/Pulverizer-cremated-remains/US4621774/en-US/|title=Pulveriser for Cremated Remains|date=11 November 1986|access-date=12 November 2008}}</ref> though the size of the grain varies depending on the Cremulator used. The mean weight of an adult's remains is {{cvt|2.4|kg}}; the mean weight for adult males is about {{cvt|1|kg}} higher than that for adult females.<ref name="Warren, M; Maples, W (1997)"/> There are various types of Cremulators, including rotating devices, grinders, and older models using heavy metal balls.<ref name="davies-crembola">{{cite encyclopedia| last = Davies| first = Douglas J.|author2=Mates, Lewis H.| year = 2005| encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Cremation| title = Cremulation| pages = 152| publisher = Ashgate Publishing| isbn = 0-7546-3773-5}}</ref>
The grinding process typically takes about 20 seconds.

[[File:Kotsuage.JPG|thumb|right|Bone-picking ceremony at a Japanese funeral]]
In most Asian countries, the bones are not pulverised, unless requested beforehand. When not pulverised, the bones are collected by the family and stored as one might do with ashes.

The appearance of cremated remains after grinding is one of the reasons they are called ''ashes'', although a non-technical term sometimes used is "cremains",{{sfn|Carlson|1997|p=80}}<ref name=Sublette>{{cite book| last = Sublette| first = Kathleen| author2 = Flagg, Martin| title = Final Celebrations: A Guide for Personal and Family Funeral Planning| year = 1992| publisher = Pathfinder Publishing| isbn = 0-934793-43-3| pages = [https://archive.org/details/finalcelebration0000subl/page/52 52]| url = https://archive.org/details/finalcelebration0000subl/page/52}}</ref> a [[portmanteau]] of "cremated" and "remains". (The Cremation Association of North America prefers that the word "cremains" not be used for referring to "human cremated remains". The reason given is that "cremains" is thought to have less connection with the deceased, whereas a loved one's "cremated remains" has a more identifiable human connection.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.cremationassociation.org/?page=AboutCANA|title=Cremation Association of North America – About CANA|year=2008|access-date=13 November 2008}}</ref>)

After final grinding, the ashes are placed in a container, which can be anything from a simple cardboard box to a decorative [[urn]]. The default container used by most crematoria, when nothing more expensive has been selected, is usually a hinged, snap-locking plastic box.

=== Ash weight and composition ===
[[File:Human cremains.jpg|thumb|upright|Cremated ashes still in plastic bag]]
Cremated remains are mostly dry [[calcium phosphates]] with some minor minerals, such as salts of sodium and potassium. Sulfur and most carbon are driven off as oxidized gases during the process, although about 1–4% of carbon remains<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zmescience.com/science/physics/cremation-science-memorial-diamonds-052634/|title = Cremation & the Science of Memorial Diamonds|date = 14 February 2020}}</ref> as carbonate.

The ash remaining represents very roughly 3.5% of the body's original mass (2.5% in children). Because the weight of dry bone fragments is so closely connected to skeletal mass, their weight varies greatly from person to person. Because many changes in body composition (such as fat and muscle loss or gain) do not affect the weight of cremated remains, the weight of the remains can be more closely predicted from the person's height and sex (which predicts skeletal weight), than it can be predicted from the person's simple weight.

Ashes of adults can be said to weigh from {{cvt|876|to|3784|g|lboz|-1}}, with women's ashes generally weighing below {{cvt|2750|g|lboz|-1}} and men's ashes generally weighing above {{cvt|1887|g|lboz|-1}}.<ref name="Warren, M; Maples, W (1997)">{{cite journal| last=Warren| first=M|author2=Maples, W| title=The anthropometry of contemporary commercial cremation| journal=Journal of Forensic Sciences| volume=42| issue=3| pages=417–423| year=1997| pmid=9144931| doi=10.1520/JFS14141J}}</ref>

Bones are not all that remain after cremation. There may be melted metal lumps from missed jewellery; casket furniture; dental fillings; and surgical implants, such as hip replacements. Breast implants do not have to be removed before cremation.<ref name="scoop">Ted Eisenberg and Joyce K. Eisenberg, ''The Scoop on Breasts: A Plastic Surgeon Busts the Myths,'' Incompra Press, 2012, {{ISBN|978-0-9857249-3-1}}</ref> Some medical devices such as pacemakers may need to be removed before cremation to avoid the risk of explosion. Large items such as titanium hip replacements (which tarnish but do not melt) or casket hinges are usually removed before processing, as they may damage the processor. (If they are missed at first, they must ultimately be removed before processing is complete, as items such as titanium joint replacements are far too durable to be ground.) Implants may be returned to the family, but are more commonly sold as ferrous/non-ferrous [[scrap metal]]. After the remains are processed, smaller bits of metal such as tooth fillings, and rings (commonly known as ''gleanings'') are sieved out and may be later interred in common, [[consecrate]]d ground in a remote area of the cemetery. They may also be sold as precious metal scrap.