Once a final check is completed, the coffin or casket is inserted into the cremator. It can take upwards of 90 minutes at 1,000 degrees Celsius for the everything to be fully cremated. Depending on the size of the deceased, it may take even longer.
Cremation burns the coffin along with the body
Coffins can be expensive, so some people find it surprising that they go into the cremation chamber along with the body. But it's a mark of tradition and respect to send someone to their burial or cremation in within a coffin.
Do they cremate the coffin with the body? Yes, the coffin is also cremated. A deceased person is not safely placed within a crematory unless a coffin is used.
In most cases, you will have to wait somewhere between 24 and 72 hours after death before a body can be cremated. Certain paperwork is required and may take several business days to obtain.
The only parts of the body that are removed before cremation are artificial ones like a medical device or implant with a battery, silicone, pins, radiation pressurization, pacemakers, and large hip, knee, and shoulder replacements along with any external jewelry.
Why do families need to wait? These different state laws are based on the typical amount of time it takes to complete authorizations, like issuing a death certificate. Because the crematorium needs the death certificate before they can cremate the body, this delays the process and is built into the waiting period.
In most cases, cremated remains are odourless. They may have a slightly metallic odour or some people say they smell somewhat like incense in some cases. However, it is common for ashes to have no distinct smell. Nonetheless, they can take on the smell of the container or cremation urn they are in.
The common misconception about cremation is that it is not possible to have a visitation, wake or more formal services. Visitations are not only allowed before a cremation; they are a popular and appropriate choice for many families.
We've all thought about it at some point. What if I'm actually alive when I'm buried or cremated? For some people this is a serious fear, and hearing the random stories of it happening doesn't help. You'll be happy to know that being cremated alive is virtually impossible.
Only one body can be cremated at once, and all cremated remains must be cleared from the cremation chamber before another cremation can begin. These standards do mean that you may have little input into any 'customization' of a cremation process.
In most cases, people are cremated in either a sheet or the clothing they are wearing upon arrival to the crematory. However, most Direct Cremation providers give you and your family the option to fully dress your loved one prior to Direct Cremation.
Are organs removed before cremation? Generally, there is no need for a deceased person's organs to be removed before cremation, unless they are being used for organ donation.
Once you burn off all the water, soft tissue, organs, skin, hair, cremation container/casket, etc., what you're left with is bone. When complete, the bones are allowed to cool to a temperature that they can be handled and are placed into a processing machine.
In a closed casket funeral, the casket remains closed during the viewing and the funeral service. Family members and guests are not able to see the body, and some prefer this option for a variety of reasons.
What is this? If a body is embalmed before cremation, the bodily fluids are exchanged (drained, and then replaced) with chemicals during the embalming process. These chemicals are also fluid. But the body is not drained prior to cremation, whether or not an embalming has taken place.
If the coffin is sealed in a very wet, heavy clay ground, the body tends to last longer because the air is not getting to the deceased. If the ground is light, dry soil, decomposition is quicker. Generally speaking, a body takes 10 or 15 years to decompose to a skeleton.
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven. So there's no need to worry, if God can create life from dust, surely he can restore life from ashes.
The bones of the body do not burn in fire. Why do the bones not burn in fire? For the burning of bone, a very high temperature of 1292 degrees Fahrenheit is required. At this temperature also, the calcium phosphate from which the bones are made will not entirely turn into ash.
Man-made fibres can cause excessive smoke and fumes, and are therefore not permitted. It is also not permitted to put into the coffin any object of substance which will not be easily reduced by cremation without causing excessive smoke or fumes. Metal, glass and ceramic objects should not be placed in the coffin.
Under normal circumstances the cremation is carried out shortly after the service. However when a service takes place late in the day, or there is an equipment failure, the cremation can take place the next morning.
The reason you won't see black smoke billowing from a cremator's chimney? All crematoriums have to adhere to emissions regulations, so there are actually two burners: one for the coffin and one to burn off all the smoke, gas and CO2 released from the coffin, which is then dispersed at 15m.
The weight is unlike what might be expected from a box of campfire ashes. Human cremation ashes include crushed bone, which makes them denser than ash from wood. Sources in the funerary industry state that one pound of human or pet weight equals one cubic inch of cremated remains.
“You can go around any crematorium around town and 90 percent of the time you will not see any smoke as this is usually caused because the deceased person is obese, there is equipment failure or it is too hot because of a malfunction of the retort,” Dickey said.
The body does not feel pain during cremation because the person is no longer alive. When a person dies, their brain stops sending signals to the body. This means that the person cannot feel pain or any other sensation.
The cremation itself takes about three to four hours, with another one to two hours for processing. Once a body is cremated, it typically takes seven to ten days to return the ashes to the family.