What is Activated Carbon? Principle of Activated Carbon and Difference between Activated Charcoal and Activated Carbon

About Activated Carbon and its principle

Activated Carbon, is a form of carbon that has been processed to enhance its porosity and surface area. It is produced by burning carbonaceous elements such as coconut shells, coal, or wood at elevated temperatures in the absenteeism of oxygen. This methodology makes a highly porous framework with a massive internal surface area, enabling it to effectively adsorb varied substances.

The activation methodology involves making a network of crevices and pores within the carbon framework, which generally boosts its adsorption capacity.  The resulting activated carbon has a plethora of microscopic pores that can retain and trap ions, molecules, and even gases through physical adsorption.

Applications and Properties of Activated Carbon-

Activated carbon entails a plethora of key properties that make it extremely versatile and widely used in different industries:

• Chemical stability- Activated carbon is proven to be chemically stable and does not deftly react with most substances, making it convenient for use in different environments.
• Plethora of applications- The demand for activated carbon comes from sector-agnostic industries and uses in multiple jobs such as gas separation, air and water purification (even for aquarium filtration), food and beverage processing, environmental remediation, and pharmaceuticals.
• Extensive adsorption capacity- Due to its highly porous structure and surface area (commercial activated carbons- 500 m2/g to 1500 m2/g), activated carbon entails an impressive adsorption capacity for a plethora of substances, including pollutants, impurities, and organic compounds.
• Reusability- Compared to other adsorbents, activated carbon can be revitalized and regenerated by desorbing the adsorbed substances through chemical or thermal processes.

Now let us have a look at the end-user applications of activated carbon that are being utilized by varied industries in real-time-

• Wood-based granular activated carbon
• Coconut shell-based granular activated carbon
• Coal-based granular & powder activated carbon
• Gold recovery activated carbon

These come in various industry grades and sizes and are very specific to their utilizations. Identifying the correct mesh size and activated carbon product depends on the contaminants and application, one plans to remove.

The actual implementations are-

• Elimination of chloramine and chlorine.
• Removal of volatile organic compounds such as TCE, Benzene, and PCE.
• Removal of waste gases and hydrogen sulfide.
• Recovery of gold
• Elimination of odor and taste causing compounds such as geosmin and MIB

Framing a particular activated carbon filtration system with optimal pressure drop, contact time and vessel size is crucial. Also, it’s chemical and physical characteristics play a significant role in eliminating contaminants effectively. Therefore, it becomes imperative to test the material and ASTM test methods such as surface area, density, butane activity, and water moisture can be performed to identify the best-suited material for a particular application.

Comparison of Activated Carbon and Activated Charcoal

Before going through the insights into their difference, let us understand what activated charcoal entails.

Charcoal is a black, porous substance extracted from organic materials, particularly wood, that has gone through pyrolysis, a process of heating in the absenteeism of oxygen. Comparative to activated carbon, charcoal is not particularly expected to boost its adsorption properties. On the other hand, it is especially used for cooking and fuel purposes due to its high carbon content and capability to burn at high temperatures.

It is manufactured by burning wood or other organic materials in a controlled environment, eliminating volatile compounds and leaving a residue that is rich in carbon. This methodology results in a robust material with a porous structure, although the porosity is technically lower compared to activated carbon.

Detailed analysis: 360-degree comparison between activated carbon and activated charcoal

While both activated charcoal and activated carbon share some similarities, such as their porous structure and carbonaceous framework, there lies a plethora of differences between the two-

• Processing- Activated carbon goes through a customized activation methodology to enhance its adsorption capabilities, resulting in an immense porous structure. On the other hand, activated charcoal is manufactured through pyrolysis without the same intensity of processing for adsorption enhancement.
• Reusability- Unlike activated carbon which is known best for its reusability, charcoal doesn’t meet the same expectations, hence considered as a single-use material by different industries.
• Purpose- As mentioned earlier, activated charcoal is essentially used as a fuel source and is known for its heat-generating abilities whereas activated carbon is produced for its excellent adsorption use cases that offer high surface area and boosted adsorption ability.
• Adsorption ability- Continuing with the above pointer, activated carbon has a very high adsorption ability as compared to activated charcoal. Therefore, it is seen that activated charcoal is not utilized for adsorbing gases, pollutants, or other organic compounds.

Applications- Activated carbon is the most sought-after structure for water and air purification, gold recovery, and various other industrial applications including gas separation. On the other hand, activated charcoal is primarily used in grilling, odor elimination, cooking, and artistic purposes. Activated charcoal India has also proven its usage in the healthcare industry where it is implemented for minimizing flatulence, lowering cholesterol levels, and promoting kidney health.