![]() This is not so surprising as people have been ingesting Activated Carbon on purpose for its purported health benefits.Īmong the various types of Activated Carbon, the Granular Activated Carbon is the best one for removing organic chemicals from water. But in these cases, the subsequent ingestion of the activated carbon does not cause any harm. However, there are cases wherein the activated carbon remains in the water. When used as a Water Filter, the Activated Carbon is usually removed completely from the water. Activated Carbon Water Filters have been used in both industrial-scale and personal use. They are quite versatile and can be used in various situations. Since activated carbon is really good at adsorbing certain chemicals from liquids, using them as filters quickly turned into a widespread habit. Knowing which activated carbon to use is made easy by the manufacturers as they would often label them with their adsorption potential. One the other hand, those types of activated carbon which posses finer pores are suitable for adsorbing small and light contaminants. Those types of Activated Carbon which has relatively larger pores are more suitable at trapping large and heavy molecules such as organic chemicals. It is also important to note that there are different kinds of activated carbon and each one is more suitable for a specific purpose compared to the rest. However, its ability to remove these contaminants is greatly affected by factors such as the amount of pollutants present, the temperature, the acidity, and the duration of contact. ![]() This property of Activated Carbon makes it a suitable material for eliminating chlorine from water.Īctivated Carbon has the ability to eliminate a wide range of pollutants from both air and water. For example, chlorine is a disinfectant that is mixed in water but when it comes into contact with activated carbon they would react with it and generate chloride ions as a byproduct. Aside from that, Activated Carbon can act as a catalyst or something that encourages chemical reactions. In essence, Activated Carbon is capable of adsorbing undesirable chemicals present in both air and water. These molecules can be anything, including pollutants, but not water or air. When liquid or air comes into contact with the activated carbon, the minute pores present in its surface would catch and trap the molecules present in the liquid or air. One common application of Activated Carbon is in filters. When the chemically treated organic matter is burned to create charcoal, you get the activated charcoal or activated carbon instead.Īs mentioned earlier, activated carbon is used in a wide range of applications due to its large surface area. Chemicals, usually strong base, acid, or salt, is added to the organic matter. Before the organic matter is turned to carbon. Chemical ActivationĬhemical activation, also from the name itself, utilizes chemicals to create activated carbon’s minute pores. Gases used in thermal activation includes carbon, nitrogen, or argon. The entire thermal activation process involves the reduction of moisture, reduction of volatiles, carbonization, and steam treatment. To be more precise, the carbon or charcoal is exposed to hot gases and steam. To date, there are only two methods of “activation” thermal or chemical activation.Īs you could guess by its name thermal activation involves the use of heat to create pores in the carbon’s or charcoal’s surface. They need to undergo a process of “activation” to create millions of tiny pores in its surface. However, this charcoal isn’t activated carbon yet. Once these materials are burned you get charcoal. Some common materials used to make activated charcoal includes coconut shell, sawdust, wood, bamboo, willow peat, coir, peach pits, petroleum pitch, and coal. ![]() In other words, you need a source material that produces a lot of charcoal when they are burned. ![]() To create activated carbon, the organic matter source material must be carbonaceous. Organic matter when burned would generate carbon. Origins of Activated Carbon and How its made Even better, activated carbon can undergo chemical treatment to drastically improve its adsorption ability. These properties make activated carbon highly beneficial for various applications. Aside from that, they enable the activated carbon to adsorb a huge range of chemicals. These minute pores act as a surface for chemical reactions. In fact, the surface area of activated carbon is so large that a teaspoon of activated carbon could have the same surface area as a football field. These minute pores grant this material a large surface area. In a nutshell, what we refer to as activated carbon or activated charcoal is a form of carbon that possesses minute, low-volume pores around its surface.
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