Manufacturing of activated carbon

Activated carbons can be obtained from virtually any carbon material containing a large percentage of elemental coal.

Commonly used raw materials used in the production of activated carbon are:

• bituminous coal,
• lignite,
• coconut shells,
• anthracite,
• wood.

About 60% of all activated carbons used in the world is hard coals. The final characteristics of activated carbon may be different; it depends on many factors influencing the process of its production. Mining coals are characterized by their ease of generating a developed structure, lignite reaches the greatest volume of the pores, coconut shells are characterized by the greatest number of active spots, as well as the greatest hardness and resistance to abrasion. On the other hand, anthracite has the greatest quantity of elemental carbon of all the materials mentioned, which makes it the hardest as well as the most resistant to unfavourable environment. Wood is used as powdered carbon characterized by small bulk density as well as a proportionally large number of macropores.

As one can note, the origin of the used activated carbon determines its porosity as well as the possibility of using the activated carbon in different industrial processes.

The table below presents a summary of the most popular raw materials used in the production of activated carbon and shows the relation between the internal structure of the material and its application in the industry.

Structure characteristics of activated carbons, depending on its origin

Read also: