Activated Carbon Performance Index

Specific surface area is one of the most important performance indexes of activated carbon and is usually measured in m²/g. It reflects the porosity and adsorption capacity of the activated carbon. The higher the specific surface area, the higher the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon. Typically, the specific surface area of activated carbon ranges from 500 to 1300 m²/g.

Our coconut shell activated carbon has a large specific surface area, typically up to 1500 m²/g, making it ideal for use in water treatment and air purification, where adsorption efficiencies can be significantly increased.

The adsorption value indicates the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon for a specific substance. Common test indicators include iodine value, methylene blue value and phenol value, etc. The higher these values, the higher the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon. The higher the value, the higher the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon.

• Iodine number: It is usually measured in mg/g and reflects the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon for small molecules.
• Methylene blue number: Indicates the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon for organic substances of medium molecular weight.
• Phenol value: Reflects the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon for organic contaminants such as phenols.

The CTC value, known as carbon tetrachloride activity, is another important indicator of the adsorption capacity of activated carbon, indicating the amount of carbon tetrachloride adsorbed by the activated carbon, usually expressed as a percentage. Commonly found in the pelletized activated carbonThe higher the CTC value, the higher the adsorption capacity of organic gases. Generally speaking, high quality activated carbon should have a CTC value higher than 50%.

The molasses value is a measure of the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon for macromolecular organic substances and is commonly used for the wood powder activated carbon. Reflects the ability of activated carbon to remove color, especially in the food, sugar and beverage industries.

The higher the molasses value, the higher the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon for macromolecular colored substances. It is usually expressed in relative terms and has no fixed unit.

The pore structure of activated carbon directly affects its adsorption performance. According to the size of the hole, it can be divided into：

• microporous (< 2 nm)
• Mesoporous (2-50 nm)
• Macroporous (> 50 nm)

The pore size distribution is suitable for adsorption of molecules of different sizes. Coconut shell-based activated carbon has well-developed micropores, the carbon-based activated carbon is mainly mesoporous and microporous, whereas the wood activated carbon is mainly macroporous and suitable for the adsorption of macromolecular substances.

The ash content indicates the amount of inorganic matter in the activated carbon, usually expressed as a percentage. The lower the ash content, the purer the activated carbon and usually the better the adsorption performance. High quality activated carbon usually has an ash content of less than 10%. Our coconut shell activated carbon of mesh 6-12 has few impurities and a low ash content.

Hardness reflects the mechanical strength of the activated carbon particles and affects their wear resistance and service life during use and is an important indicator of the performance of the activated carbon. granular activated carbon and pellet activated carbon . The higher the hardness, the lower the loss of activated carbon in the application.