More about Activated Carbon for Water and Wastewater Filtration

Activated carbon is one of the best general-purpose adsorbents for the removal and reduction of many dissolved organic compounds from water and wastewater. It has been known for centuries that water kept in charred barrels remained good-tasting longer, but it was not until this century that true activated carbon was developed for use in gas masks in WWI and for sugar colorization. Today, activated carbon is made from many different raw materials and is used in hundreds of different applications for both liquid and vapor treatment.

Applications are found in both industrial and municipal settings. In industrial applications, activated carbon is used to polish process water and treat wastewater (either before discharge to the sewer or so it can be recycled). In municipal applications, activated carbon is used to remove color, odor and taste from potable water.

What is activated carbon?

Activated carbons are charred, highly porous powders, granules or pellets that are made from a variety of raw materials (such as coal, lignite, petroleum, wood, coconut shell, walnut shell, peat and bone). These raw materials are transformed into activated carbon through a process of dehydration, heating at high temperature, and exposure to gases.

Activated carbons can be treated further or chemically coated to remove specific chemicals. These are known as Impregnated Carbons, and they are formulated to remove chemical compounds that are difficult to remove with the carbons from the basic process.

How is activated carbon used?

Activated carbon is used in water and wastewater treatment to remove a wide range of natural and synthetic soluble organic molecules that are dissolved in solution.

Molecular size varies depending upon the substance. In some applications, molecules of different sizes will need to be removed. This is an important factor because molecular size affects the selection of the specific carbon product to be used. For example, color molecules are large and are usually treated with a wood base carbon.

How is activated carbon made?

Activated carbon is a carbonaceous material such as wood, coal, lignite, petroleum, peat, coconut shell, walnut shell or bone. The raw material is charred by heating it to a red heat, but without sufficient oxygen to cause combustion.

How does activated carbon work?

Carbon works by means of adsorption – a process by which molecules are attracted to and become attached to the surface of the carbon. The molecule is held in contact with the surface of the carbon by a combination of physical, ionic and chemical forces. Because adsorption is a surface phenomenon, the amount of surface area provided by the pore structure of the carbon is an important factor in determining efficiency of molecular removal.

Once the activated carbon has adsorbed the maximum amount, it must be replaced. Spent carbon is removed from the pressure vessel and can be regenerated or sent to a landfill.

Everfilt Activated Carbon Filtration Systems

Everfilt water filtrations systems are engineered to your requirements. Learn more about Everfilt activated carbon water filtration systems. To speak with an Everfilt engineer, call 1-800-360-8380 or contact us by email.