What is Activated Carbon?
Activated carbon is a granular material produced mostly by roasting charcoal from coconut shells or coal at 800 to 1000°C to “activate” it. Impurities are removed by acid washing. Typically, it has pore sizes ranging from 500 to 1000nm and a surface area of about 1000m2/gram. A much purer form of activated carbon is produced by hydrolyzing polymer beads.
Applications
Activated carbon is used for the purification of gases or clarification of gases or clarification of liquids, water and oil. The product is liable to heat slowly and ignite spontaneously in air. Damage may render this commodity unfit for use with edible liquids, but may be fit for clarification of non-edible products. The advice of an analytical chemist should be obtained as to alternative uses.
Activated carbon is used in gas purification, decaffeination, gold purification, metal extraction, water purification, medicine, sewage treatment, air filters in gas masks and respirators, filters in compressed air and many other applications.
One major industrial application involves use of activated carbon in the metal finishing field. It is very widely employed for purification of electroplating solutions. For example, it is a main purification technique for removing organic impurities from bright nickel-plating solutions. A variety of organic chemicals are added to plating solutions for improving their deposit qualities and for enhancing properties like brightness, smoothness, ductility, etc. Due to passage of direct current and electrolytic reactions of anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction, organic additives generate unwanted break down products in solution. Their excessive build up can adversely affect the plating quality and physical properties of deposited metal. Activated carbon treatment removes such impurities and restores plating performance to the desired level.
Shipment/storage
Activated carbon is categorised as Dangerous Goods.
Dangerous substances are classified according to their main characteristics and properties into 9 classes of the IMDG Code (International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code). Some substances have properties fitting them for inclusion in more than one Class: these have been placed in the class appropriate to the most dangerous property when carried in ships.
The IMDG Code provides an index which lists all the substances. It should not, however, be assumed that if a particular item is omitted it is either non-hazardous or forbidden for shipment. Non-inclusion of any substance possessing dangerous properties does not relieve the shipper from responsibility for declaring the nature of the substance, and under common law for any damage caused through default.
In the IBC Code, dangerous chemicals in bulk are listed with standards and guidelines on board ships.