Editing Cremation (section)

=== 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.