The amazing properties of activated charcoal come mostly from its extremely large surface area. One gram of the material has around the same surface area as two tennis courts (or 500 square meters). It is the porous nature of the material that gives it such a high ratio of surface area to mass. Due to the reactive properties of activated charcoal’s porous surface structure, this material is useful in a wide variety of household and industrial applications.
Uses
The most obvious use for activated charcoal is in filtration processes and there is no shortage of applications for the substance in this area. One of the most familiar household functions is in odor absorption; powdered activated charcoal (or Pac) is widely used by consumers in many odor prevention and removal products but other more industrial applications are also widely utilized. Activated charcoal is often used to treat and filter drinking water and to clean up spills and remove pollutants from contaminated water sources.
Activated charcoal can also used to treat cases of poisoning. The properties of some types of the material allow it to absorb certain forms of poisons from the digestive system , keeping damage to a minimum. Some products intended for human consumption are also sold as supplements meant to cleanse the body but little long term research has been done to verify some of these claims or to evaluate long term side effects.
Types and Sources
Activated charcoal can be produced from a wide variety of sources. The basic ingredient is the element carbon which is found in abundance in all organic compounds. Some of the most desirable types of activated charcoal are actually made from nutshells such as coconut. Other types are produced from materials such as wood and coal. The carbonaceous material is processed either through physical activation (usually involving high temperatures to change the nature of the original matter) or through chemical activation which can achieve similar results with much lower temperatures.
The various types of activated charcoal are intended for slightly different purposes. Powdered Activated charcoal (PAC) with a small particle size is ideal for gravity filters and direct addition to raw water intakes. Granular activated charcoal (GAC) and extruded activated charcoal (EAC) each have larger sizes and are used for other types of filtration and purification such as water filters and gas phase purification.