• Activated carbon is a material derived mostly from charcoal that has been treated with oxygen creating many tiny pores between the carbon atoms.

• Production of activated carbon comes from different carbonaceous materials like coal, wood, coconut shells, etc.

• Two types of activated carbon production are physical reactivation and chemical activation.

Zoomed images of Carbon Surface and Pores (zoom increases left to right)

Different Types of Activated Different Types of Activated Carbon PropertiesCarbon Properties

PropertyPropertyCoconut Coconut Activated Activated CarbonCarbon

Coal Activated Coal Activated CarbonCarbon

Lignite Lignite Activated Activated CarbonCarbon

Wood Activated Wood Activated Carbon Carbon (Powder)(Powder)

MicroporeMicropore highhigh highhigh mediummedium lowlow

MacroporeMacropore lowlow mediummedium highhigh highhigh

HardnessHardness highhigh highhigh lowlow n/an/a

AshAsh 5%5% 10%10% 20%20% 5%5%

Water Soluble Water Soluble AshAsh highhigh lowlow highhigh mediummedium

DustDust lowlow mediummedium highhigh n/an/a

ReactivationReactivation goodgood goodgood poorpoor nonenone

Apparent Apparent DensityDensity 0.48 g/cc0.48 g/cc 0.48 g/cc0.48 g/cc 0.4 g/cc0.4 g/cc 0.35 g/cc0.35 g/cc

Iodine No.Iodine No. 11001100 10001000 600600 10001000http://www.carbochem.com/activatedcarbon101.html#Types

• Water treatment• Air treatment• Gas purification• Gold purification• Metal extraction• Medicine• Sewage treatment• Gas masks• Filter masks

ReferencesReferences• http://www.carbochem.com/activatedcarbon101.

html#Types• http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?

parent=question209.htm&url=http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/h2oqual/watsys/ae1029w.htm

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_carbon• http://www.cee.vt.edu/ewr/environmental/

teach/wtprimer/carbon/sketcarb.html

Carbonized coconut Activated coconut