Cremains (or cremated remains) is a more accurate label for the commonly used phrase “cremation ashes.” After all, the remains you receive as a result of your loved one's cremation aren't ashes but are instead the bodily remains of the person you loved.
Human remains that do not decompose into gas come primarily from the denser sections of the body, such as the bones. After cremation, bones make up the majority of what is left behind. Following the cremation, the ashes are cleaned and prepared for burial. When the bones are broken down into fine dust, this is helpful.
During cremation, the body parts that do burn consist of organs, soft tissue, hair, and skin, while the water in our bodies evaporates. The body parts that do not burn are bone fragments. Teeth usually burn during cremation, but not entirely.
Generally, there is no need for a deceased person's organs to be removed before cremation, unless they are being used for organ donation.
Are coffins sold back to the funeral director for re-use? No. The coffin and the body inside are cremated together. There are occasions where the deceased or the family of the deceased has opted for using a cardboard coffin in which their loved one will be cremated.
Is a body drained before cremation? Draining a body of fluids does not happen before cremation. 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.
Are you clothed when you are cremated? Cremation of a body can be done with or without clothing. Typically, if there has been a traditional funeral (with the body) present, the deceased will be cremated in whatever clothing they were wearing.
The body will be placed in a cremated coffin, which goes into the crematorium. The coffin and body are heated until they turn to ash. The leftover bone matter will be pulverized into ash as well.
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.
Cremation Involves Lighting the Body on Fire
One of the most misguided cremation myths is that the body is set on fire. The cremation process uses flames to create extreme heat in a specially designed furnace. During the cremation process, the furnace (also called a retort) reaches temperatures around 1800° F.
The bones themselves will not burn during the process; in fact, if left undisturbed, there will be an entire skeleton left behind after a cremation. Then those bones are swept out and machinery is used to break them down into smaller components that can fit easily inside an urn or other storage vessel.
After each cremation, the metal is removed from the ashes as usual and placed in containers; however, instead of burying these metals, they are collected every six months by OrthoMetals.
Staff remove any metal parts from the coffin – for example, metal handles – and the metal name plate identifying the name of the deceased is placed outside the cremator to allow for identification of the body during the cremation process. The coffin is then inserted into the cremator.
Even within modern crematoria, which burn efficiently and at high temperatures, the skeleton will survive. The skeletal remains are then raked from the cremator and the remains placed in a machine known as a cremulator, which grinds the bones into ash.
How long do cremated ashes last? In theory, cremated ashes can last forever. Some funeral homes have ashes from the 19th Century that are still in their urns, and archeologists have been known to discover ashes that are thousands of years old.
Cremation Involves Lighting the Body on Fire
One of the most misguided cremation myths is that the body is set on fire. The cremation process uses flames to create extreme heat in a specially designed furnace. During the cremation process, the furnace (also called a retort) reaches temperatures around 1800° F.
Does the body sit up during cremation? Yes, this can happen. Due to the heat and the muscle tissue, the body can move as the body is broken down, although this does happen inside the coffin, so it won't be visible.
Depending on location, the cremation process can take anywhere from 3-15 business days. Some states have laws requiring a waiting period before a cremation can even take place. The actual cremation can take about 3 hours, and processing the cremated remains takes another 1-2 hours.
The actual cremation (burning of the dead body, turning them into ashes) can take about 3-4 hours, and processing the cremated remains takes another 2-3 hours.
Average Cost of Cremation in Australia
The cost of a cremation tends to vary from company to company, but generally speaking, the process is much more cost-efficient than a burial. This is in part due to the fact that there are much fewer expenses in the process which result in the lower cremation cost.
In the case of direct cremation, the deceased's body does not get drained of fluids and is cremated as is. If the body is being embalmed, the bodily fluids are exchanged (drained and replaced) with chemicals.
They clean up their cremation chambers thoroughly in between cremations. At the end of the cremation process, the only things left in a cremation chamber will be a pile of bone fragments and a bunch of cremated remains. A crematory will carefully remove them from a cremation chamber so that they can be processed.
A magnet is then run over the ashes to lift out any metal, while large replacement joints have to be removed manually. "Titanium doesn't melt down so most of the large hip, knee and shoulder replacements are physically removed," Mr Pitt said.
The cremation chamber must be clean of ashes before another cremation can start. These rules mean that you don't have much control over how a cremation is done. Does the body feel pain during cremation? The body does not feel pain during cremation because the person is no longer alive.
Can more than one body be cremated in a cremator at the same time? The Code insists that each cremation is carried out separately. Exceptions may be made in the case of a mother and baby or twin children providing the next of kin has made a specific request in writing in this regard.