WHAT IS ACTIVATED CARBON?

Activated carbon (also called activated charcoal, activated coal or active carbon) is a very useful adsorbent. Due to their high surface area, pore structure (micro, meso and macro), and high degree of surface reactivity, activated carbon can be used to purify, dechlorinate, deodorize and decolorize both liquid and vapor applications. Moreover, activated carbons are economical adsorbents for many industries such as water purification, food grade products, cosmotology, automotive applications, industrial gas purification, petroleum and precious metal recovery mainly for gold. The base materials for activated carbons are coconut shell, coal or wood.

APPLICATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON

Different types of activated carbon are suited for various specialized applications.

• Granulated activated carbon
• Pelletized activated carbon
• Powdered activated carbon
• Impregnated activated carbon
• Catalytic activated carbon

Each grade and size of activated carbon is application specific. Selecting the correct activated carbon product and mesh size depends on the application and contaminants you plan to remove.

Typical applications are:

• Removal of volatile organic compounds such as Benzene, TCE, and PCE.
• Hydrogen Sulfide (HS) and removal of waste gases
• Impregnated activated carbon used as a bacteria inhibitor in drinking water filters
• Removal of taste and odor causing compounds such as MIB and geosmine
• Recovery of gold
• Removal of chlorine and chloramine

Designing a proper activated carbon filtration system with enough contact time, pressure drop, and vessel size is important. Also, activated carbon’s physical and chemical characteristics play an important role in removing contaminants effectively. Therefore, material testing is essential and ASTM test methods such as butane activity, surface area, density, and water content (moisture) can be carried out to find the best suitable material for your application.