Activated Carbon

Activated carbon is a very porous material made from carbonaceous material, such as peat, wood, coal, coconut shells, anthracite, fruit kernels (olives) and even peanut- or rice shells. The choice of the raw material and the method of activation determine the specific properties of activated carbon and such the effectiveness under certain conditions. There are two methods to make carbon ‘active’:

·         Chemical activation

By adding a chemical substance (e.g. phosphoric acid, zinc chloride) the pores of the raw material are ‘opened’ and further activated at temperatures of 400-700 Celsius. This method renders a product with predominantly large (macro) pores, mainly suitable to adsorb large molecules, such as color compounds from liquids.

·         Thermal activation

The raw material is heated to 900-1000 Celsius and under addition of steam (to prevent carbonization) a product with predominantly medium (meso) and small (micro) pores in=s obtained. By varying the process conditions (temperatures, steam dosing, kiln retention time, etc., the size, ratio and number of the pores that can be influenced.

From the a.m. methods, a semi-product is derived which will then undergo various after treatments, all depending on the final application. These treatments may consist of:

·         Grinding to powdered carbonSieving to obtain

·         Broken type carbon of different mesh sizes

·         Washing with water or acid to obtain a pure product. Mixing with inert binding material to produce extrudates (pellets with a fixed diameter)

Is it very important to select the correct Activated carbon so that at any time the best performance will be achieved! Physical qualities of activated carbon (such as hardness, densities, etc.) are values that can be of importance for the process. Low density carbons are often promoted by their manufacturers because of the big price advantage. Adsorbers with a fixed volume will indeed contain fewer kilograms of lightweight carbons. However, as the adsorption capacity is always expressed as a percentage by weight, such carbons will have a lower total adsorption result and will have to be replaced more often. We will help you to select the right carbon against the best prices at any time!