Activated carbon, also known as activated charcoal, is a form of carbon that is processed (activated) to have small, low-volume pores that increase its surface area and make it highly adsorbent. It is commonly used to filter contaminants from water and air, among many other uses, due to its high specific surface area, high porosity, and desired surface functionalization. Activated carbon is used in a wide range of applications, including:
- Water and air purification
- Methane and hydrogen storage
- Capacitive deionization
- Supercapacitive swing adsorption
- Solvent recovery
- Decaffeination
- Gold purification
- Metal extraction
- Medicine
- Sewage treatment
- Air filters in respirators
- Filters in compressed air
- Teeth whitening
- Production of hydrogen chloride
- Edible electronics
- Pesticide, animal feed additive, processing aid, nonagricultural ingredient, and disinfectant in livestock production
- Processing agent to adsorb brown color pigments from white grape concentrates in organic winemaking
- Distilled alcoholic beverage purification
Activated carbon is produced from carbonaceous source materials such as bamboo, coconut husk, willow peat, wood, coir, lignite, coal, and petroleum pitch. The raw materials most commonly used to manufacture activated carbon are soft woods (such as pine), mineral coals (lignite, bituminous and anthracite), and vegetable shells or pits (coconut shells, olive or peach pits, walnut shells) .
