A process for forming a pure carbon product has the steps of soaking charcoal with hydrochloric acid to remove solids from the charcoal, removing the hydrochloric acid from the soaked charcoal, drying the charcoal, grinding the dried charcoal into a fine powder, mixing water with the fine powder, washing the fine powder, removing the water so as to from a charcoal slurry, and drying the charcoal slurry so as to form the pure carbon powder. The charcoal slurry has a skim on the surface thereof. The skim is removed.