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Various Uses of Activated Carbon

August 24,2024

Activated carbon is widely used in our daily life, generally we will put a certain amount of activated carbon in the new house after decoration or in the wooden closet we bought to remove the odor in the house, as well as formaldehyde and other harmful gases. So do you know the other uses of activated carbon, next we will learn more about the uses of activated carbon.

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What is Activated Carbon

Activated carbon is a kind of porous carbon material made from carbon source material (such as wood, coconut shell, coal or petroleum coke) through carbonization and activation process, its internal pore structure is well developed, and even the specific surface area is large, it is a class of microcrystalline carbon material with strong adsorption capacity.

Characteristics of activated carbon

Adsorption Characteristics

Activated carbon adsorption method is the use of porous activated carbon,  so that one or more substances in the water are adsorbed on the surface of the activated carbon and removed, the removal of objects, including dissolved organic substances, synthetic detergents, microorganisms, viruses and a certain amount of heavy metals, and can be decoloration, deodorization, air purification.

Activated carbon is a very fine carbon particle with a large surface area, and there are even finer pores - capillaries - in the carbon particle. This capillary tube has a strong adsorption capacity, and because of the large surface area of the charcoal particles, they are in full contact with gases (impurities). When these gases (impurities) come into contact with the capillaries, they are adsorbed and purified.

Chemical Characteristics

The adsorption of activated carbon is not only physical adsorption, but also chemical adsorption. The adsorption of activated carbon depends on both the pore structure and chemical composition.

Activated carbon not only contains carbon, but also contains a small amount of oxygen and hydrogen that are chemically bonded and functionally grouped, such as carbonyls, carboxyls, phenols, lactones, quinones, and ethers. These surfaces contain oxides and complexes, some of which come from derivatives of raw materials, and some of which are generated by the action of air or water vapor during and after activation. Sometimes also generate surface sulfides and chlorides. In the activation of the raw materials contained in the mineral concentration to the activated carbon into the ash, the main component of the ash is alkali metal and alkaline earth metal salts, such as carbonates and phosphates.

Specific uses of activated carbon

● Environmental purification: activated carbon can effectively remove harmful substances in water and air, including organic pollutants, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), etc., which is crucial for environmental protection and human health.

● Resource recycling: In industrial processes, activated carbon can be used to recycle valuable chemicals and metals, reducing waste of resources.

● Medical applications: Activated carbon is used in detoxification and drug delivery systems, which play an important role in treating certain diseases and improving drug efficacy.

● Food industry: In food processing, activated carbon is used to decolorize, deodorize and extend the shelf life of food to ensure food safety and quality.

● Energy storage: activated carbon is used as electrode material for supercapacitors and batteries, which helps to improve energy storage efficiency and promote the development of renewable energy technology.

In addition to the above, activated carbon has many other uses. Due to its high adsorption capacity, multifunctionality and renewability, activated carbon plays an irreplaceable role in environmental protection, resource recovery, industrial application and scientific research.


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