Activated Carbon Production Process

Activated carbon has a wide range of applications, including water treatment, air purification, food processing, medicine and other fields. Therefore, understanding the production process of activated carbon not only helps to improve its production efficiency and reduce costs, but also helps to better utilize its application value in various fields.

 

Activated carbon, as an efficient adsorption material, its production process covers multiple delicate process steps. These steps ensure that activated carbon has superior adsorption performance, stable chemical properties, and good physical structure.

1. Raw material preparation and processing  

The production of activated carbon first starts with the selection and preparation of raw materials. Common raw materials include coal, wood, fruit shells (such as coconut shells), bones, etc. Most of these raw materials are waste, which not only achieves effective use of resources, but also reduces production costs.

During the preparation of raw materials, cleaning, screening and crushing are required to remove impurities and control particle size. For harder raw materials such as wood, they need to undergo high-temperature cooking, carbonization and other processes to convert them into carbon-based materials while removing moisture and impurities. These pretreatment steps are critical to the quality and performance of subsequent activated carbon.  

2. Carbonization process  

The pretreated raw materials enter the carbonization stage. Carbonization is the decomposition and transformation of organic matter in raw materials through high-temperature heating under anaerobic or low-oxygen conditions to generate carbonized matter with a preliminary pore structure. This process usually needs to be carried out in a closed carbonization furnace to ensure the uniformity and stability of the carbonization process. 

During the carbonization process, the volatile substances in the raw materials gradually escape, leaving behind a solid substance dominated by carbon. Factors such as carbonization temperature, time, and the type and particle size of raw materials will affect the quality and performance of the carbonized product. Therefore, controlling these parameters is key to making high-quality activated carbon.  

3. Activation treatment  

Activation is the core step in the activated carbon production process, which determines the pore structure and adsorption performance of activated carbon. The activation process mainly uses physical or chemical methods to rearrange the carbon atoms in the carbide to form rich micropore and mesoporous structures.  

Physical activation usually uses water vapor or carbon dioxide as the activator, which reacts with carbonized materials at high temperatures to generate a new pore structure. Chemical activation uses chemical reagents (such as phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, etc.) to react with carbonized materials to form a richer pore structure. Different activation methods are suitable for different raw materials and application scenarios.  

During the activation process, parameters such as temperature, time, and activator dosage need to be strictly controlled to ensure that the quality and performance of activated carbon are optimal. 

4. Washing and drying  

After activation is completed, the activated carbon needs to be washed and dried. The purpose of washing is to remove residues and activators on the surface of activated carbon to ensure the purity and adsorption performance of activated carbon. Commonly used washing methods include water washing and acid washing.  

The washed activated carbon enters the drying stage. During the drying process, the temperature and humidity need to be controlled to prevent the activated carbon from deforming or cracking during the drying process. The dried activated carbon should have good stability and adsorption properties.  

5. Crushing and screening  

The dried activated carbon usually needs to be crushed and screened to obtain the required particle size distribution. The crushing process can be achieved by mechanical crushing or air flow crushing, while screening is used to classify and package activated carbon according to its particle size.  

6. Quality inspection and packaging  

The finished activated carbon needs to undergo quality testing, including tests on adsorption performance, chemical stability, physical structure, etc. Only activated carbon that meets the requirements can be recognized as a qualified product, packaged and sold.   During the packaging process, attention needs to be paid to moisture-proof, dust-proof and damage-proof issues to ensure that activated carbon maintains its excellent performance during transportation and storage.  

In summary, the production process of activated carbon is a complex and delicate process, involving multiple links such as raw material preparation, carbonization, activation, washing, drying, crushing, screening and quality testing. Every step requires strict control of parameters and operating conditions to ensure the best quality and performance of activated carbon. At the same time, with the advancement of science and technology and the improvement of environmental protection requirements, the production process of activated carbon is constantly innovating and improving to meet a wider range of application needs.  

In fact, every production link contains many details and technical points that require in-depth study and exploration. At the same time, there may also be differences in the production of activated carbon under different raw materials and process conditions. Therefore, for the specific operations and details of activated carbon production, it is recommended to refer to professional books and documents in related fields, or to consult experts and technicians in related fields.  

In addition, activated carbon has a wide range of applications, including water treatment, air purification, food processing, medicine and other fields. Therefore, understanding the production process of activated carbon not only helps to improve its production efficiency and reduce costs, but also helps to better utilize its application value in various fields. In the future, with the improvement of environmental awareness and the continuous advancement of technology, the production process and application fields of activated carbon will continue to be expanded and improved.