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How is an activated charcoal selected for a particular application?

  • Applications are divided broadly into two groups: air/vapor filter and water/fluid filter applications. Air and vapor filters tend to use the larger sizes of GAC, while water and fluid applications use smaller GAC or even powdered activated charcoal (PAC).
  • The flow rate of the medium through the charcoal filter will determine the size of the charcoal particle. Sufficient contact time with the charcoal is paramount. The smaller the charcoal particles in the filter bed the faster they will work, but the smaller particles will also restrict the flow rate. The perfect formula will match the particle size to the desire flow rate.
  • The molecular size of the target contaminant is the next deciding factor. There are three basic activated carbon pore structures: micro (smallest – less than 20 Å) meso (intermediary – 20 Å – 50 Å) and macro (largest – greater than 50 Å)
  • The target contaminant is matched to an activated carbon with a particular pore size.
  • Activated charcoal produced from coconut shell is known for its micro pore structure which works well for small air/gas molecules. Wood-based charcoal has a more mid-range pore structure and coal-based has larger macro-pores that accommodate the larger color and protein molecules.
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