FAQ

What is activated carbon?
Activated carbon is referred to porous carbon that is produced through a prosity-development process called activation. The activation process involves high temperature treating of already pyrolyzed carbon (often referred as char) using activating agents such as carbon dioxide, steam, potassium hydroxide, etc. Activated carbon has great adsorption capabilities which is why it is used in liquid or vapor phase filtration media. Activated carbon has surface area greater than 1,000 square meters per gram.
What is adsorption?
Adsorption is the process by which liquid or gaseous molecules gets attracted to the inner pore walls of activated carbon. Adsorption is different from absorption. In absorption, molecules are taken up by the volume, not by the surface (as in adsorption).
When was activated carbon first used?
The use of activated carbon extends back into history. Indians used charcoal for drinking water filtration, and carbonized wood was used as a medical adsorbent by the Egyptians as early as 1500 B.C. Activated carbon was first manufactured industrially in the first part of the twentieth century, when it was used in sugar refining. Powdered activated carbon was first produced commercially in Europe in the early 19th century, using wood as a raw material.
What are different raw materials used for activated carbon?
In general, activated carbon can be produced from a variety of carbonaceous material. The three most common raw materials for activated carbon are wood, coal and coconut shell.
What is the difference between activated carbon and activated charcoal?
Activated carbon made from wood is called activated charcoal.
What are some of the common applications for activated carbon?
Decolorization of sugar and sweeteners, drinking water treatment, gold recovery, production of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals, catalytic processes, off gas treatment of waste incinerators, automotive vapor filters, and color/odor correction in wines and fruit juices.
What are micropores, mesopores and maropores?
As per IUPAC standards, pores are usually categorized as follows:
Micropores: referred to pores less than 2 nm; Mesopores: referred to pores between 2 and 50 nm; Macropores: referred to pores greater than 50 nm
What are the difference in pore sizes between coconut shell, coal and wood based activated carbon?
Coconut shell activated carbon has a large quantity of micropores making it superior to coal grades for the removal of smaller organic compounds, low boiling point chemicals with strong odors and dechlorination applications. Coconut shell activated carbon is a material of choice for manufacturers of water filters and respirators.
Coal based and wood based carbons contain meso and macropores and thus are used in applications such as dye removal where larger color compounds can be successfully adsorbed.
What is iodine number?
Iodine number is a commonly used parameter used to characterize activated carbon performance. It is a measure of activity level (higher number indicates higher degree of activation), often reported in mg/g.
What is hardness number?
It is a measure of the activated carbon's resistance to attrition. It is an important indicator of activated carbons ability to maintain its physical integrity and withstand frictional forces imposed by backwashing, etc. We follow ASTM standard 3802 to determine hardness number.
How is carbon tetrachloride (CTC) activity measured?
CTC is most widely used method is to measure the carbons capacity to adsorb carbon tetrachloride and express this as a weight/weight %. This is determined by flowing CTC laden air through a sample of carbon of known weight, under standard conditions, until constant weight is achieved. The weight of CTC adsorbed is referred to as the carbons % CTC activity. We follow ASTM standard 3467 to CTC activity.
How is surface area measured?
The internal surface area of a carbon is usually determined by the BET (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller) method.
What is the smallest quantity that I can buy?
1 kg.
What is the delivery time?
Please call us at +380442332443 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
How do I order?
Please call us at +380442332443 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
What kind of carbon is right for my application?
We can help you determine the best grade of activated carbon for your application. Please call  +380442332443 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
How do your products differ from those of your competitors?
We sell many different grades of activated carbon from different raw materials, available in both granular, powder and pellet form. We provide technical consultation, competitive pricing, and can develop custom based activated carbon. No order is small for us. We supply activated carbon as low as 1 kg.
Are any of your activated carbon products food grade or pharmaceutical grade?
Yes. Some of our products are certified to ANSI/NSF Standard 61. Additionally, others meet all requirements of AWWA, Chemical Codex, and ASTM protocols.
What is the cost of your activated for larger quantity orders?
On request, we can provide the price for larger quantity orders. Please call us at +380442332443 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .