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How does carbon react with oxygen at high temperatures?

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A labeled diagram of the periodic table entry for carbon, showing its atomic number 6, symbol C, electron configuration, atomic weight range, solid physical state, hexagonal crystal structure, and weakly acidic oxide properties. Color coding and icons indicate it is a nonmetal, solid at room temperature, with hexagonal structure and weak acidity. — carbon Carbon and its properties.

At ordinary temperatures, carbon is chemically inert and difficult to oxidize. However, at high temperatures, carbon combines readily with oxygen to form two primary oxides: carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide.12

The specific nature of the reaction during combustion depends on temperature and oxygen availability:

Reaction Dynamics: At high temperatures, the rate of the chemical reaction between carbon and oxygen increases exponentially. If the reaction becomes sufficiently fast, the overall process can become limited by the rate at which oxygen diffuses to the carbon surface rather than the chemical reaction itself.3
Industrial Application: Because carbon combines so readily with oxygen at high temperatures, it is frequently used in metallurgical processes as a reducing agent to remove oxygen from metal oxide ores. Additionally, carbon monoxide can be produced industrially by passing air through incandescent coal or coke, or by reacting natural gas with oxygen at high temperatures in the presence of a catalyst.24

Incomplete conversion of carbon to carbon dioxide often results in the production of carbon monoxide, which is a significant air pollutant.4