What is Activated Carbon?
Activated Carbon is also known as Activated Charcoal and is produced from carbonaceous, a highly porous adsorptive medium that has a complex structure composed primarily of carbon atoms. Activated carbons are manufactured from coconut shell, peat, hard and softwood, lignite coal, bituminous coal, olive pits, and various carbonaceous specialty materials. Chemical activation or high-temperature steam activation mechanism are used in the production of activated carbons from these raw materials. The chemical structure of activated carbon can be defined as a crude form of graphite, with a random amorphous structure that is highly porous over a wide range of pore sizes, from visible cavities and gaps of molecular dimensions.
Activated carbon is a porous material that removes organic compounds from liquids and gases by a process known as “adsorption.” In adsorption, organic molecules contained in a liquid or gas are attracted and bound to the surface of the pores of the activated carbon as the liquid or gas is passed through.
Adsorption occurs on the internal surface of activated carbon, termed the adsorbent. During adsorption, liquids or gases pass through the highly porous structure of the activated carbon. The compound(s) to be removed, termed the adsorbate(s), diffuses to the surface of the adsorbent and is retained because of attractive forces.
The primary raw material used in the production of our activated carbons is bituminous coal that is crushed, sized and processed in low temperature bakers followed by high-temperature activation furnaces. Activation develops the pore structure of the carbon. Through adjustments in the activation process, differentiated pores for a particular purification application are developed.
Types of Activated Carbon
Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)
Granular activated carbon is defined as the activated carbon being retained on a 50-mesh sieve. They have the advantages of being harder and more long-lasting than powder activated carbon (PAC), clean to handle, purify larger volumes of gas or liquid of a consistent quality, and can be reactivated and reused many times.
Granules Activated Carbon is widely used in drinking water, industrial water, brewing, waste gas treatment, decolorization, desiccant, gas purification, etc.
Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC)
Powdered activated carbon (PAC) is made from organic materials with high carbon contents such as wood, lignite, and coal. PAC typically has a diameter of less than 0.1 mm and has an apparent density range between 23 and 46 lb/ft3. Advantages of powdered activated carbons are their lower processing costs and their flexibility in operation
Powder carbons are widely used in food, beverage, medicine, tap water, sugar, oil and other industries in brewing, sewage, treatment, power plants, electroplating, etc.
Pelletized Activated Carbon
Pellets are activated carbon compressed into a cylindric shape and have a wide variety of uses. Removing contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and mercury from natural gas as well as controlling odour. Pelletized activated carbon is made from high-quality coal or coconut shell by extruding the activated carbon into cylindrical particles with a diameter range of 0.9 – 8 mm.
Activated carbon pellets are suitable for toxic gas purification, waste gas treatment, industrial and domestic water purification treatment.