Desmond Tutu's body to be aquamated
- Thread starter Alligatorob
- Start date
hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
I've heard of it , I believe it's also called Biocremation...
terry123
Well-known Member
- Location
- Houston, Tx.
Never heard of it before. Sounds like a form of cremation to me also. I think I like the idea of water. I wonder if its done here.
Alligatorob
SF VIP
No, that is not hot enough to combust or burn. Its an aggressive chemical process, alkaline hydrolysis, the reaction takes place in water, probably under pressure. In the end though it has a similar result to cremation.
Shero
Senior Member
- Location
- Transient in the Land of Oz
Never heard of aquamation before, but here's some information. Sounds like a good idea to me.
What is aquamation?
Aquamation, which uses water, is touted as a greener alternative to cremation, which uses fire. Practitioners say it cuts the amount of environmentally harmful carbon dioxide produced by up to 90%.
The technical name for the process is alkaline hydrolysis - and it involves weighing the body, then heating it to 150C (300F) in a mixture of potassium hydroxide and water for up to 90 minutes.
This dissolves the body tissue, leaving only the bones - which are then rinsed at 120C, dried, and pulverised into a coarse powder using a machine called a cremulator.
Once all these steps are complete, the remains can be buried or scattered in accordance with the deceased's wishes - just as would happen in an ordinary cremation.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-59842728
What is aquamation?
Aquamation, which uses water, is touted as a greener alternative to cremation, which uses fire. Practitioners say it cuts the amount of environmentally harmful carbon dioxide produced by up to 90%.
The technical name for the process is alkaline hydrolysis - and it involves weighing the body, then heating it to 150C (300F) in a mixture of potassium hydroxide and water for up to 90 minutes.
This dissolves the body tissue, leaving only the bones - which are then rinsed at 120C, dried, and pulverised into a coarse powder using a machine called a cremulator.
Once all these steps are complete, the remains can be buried or scattered in accordance with the deceased's wishes - just as would happen in an ordinary cremation.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-59842728
Alligatorob
SF VIP
Found another innovative approach to caring for bodies of loved one. Not likely to catch on soon I don't think:
Culture of cannibalism has respect for the dead
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/culture-of-cannibalism-has-respect-for-the-dead-1.180372I doubt it would catch on, too.
Besides, anyone who showed up late for dinner would get the cold shoulder.