Water treatment activated carbon
Activated carbon is a broadly applied material in municipal, industrial and residential water treatment systems. The applications of activated carbon span from point-of use filters to large-scale plants, highlighting the flexibility of activated carbon in fitting into multiple designs and fulfilling regulatory requirements for the level of quality needed in water.
Water Treatment Activated Carbon (WTAC) is a highly porous form of carbon that has been treated to create a large internal surface area. Activated carbon can be produced from organic materials with high carbon concentrations (e.g. coal, coconut husks, wood) and through thermally activated carbon or chemically activated carbon. The heating of carbon during activation creates a complex network of micro-, meso- and macropores that will allow for the interaction with diverse contaminants.
In water treatment systems activated carbon can serve primarily as a physical adsorbent, where pores and internal structures trap a variety of dissolved organic and inorganic contaminants via the process of adsorption. Some processes that support the interactions involved in adsorption will include:
– Van der Waals forces for non-polar organic compounds (e.g., solvents, pesticides).
– Electrostatic attraction for ionic species like chlorine or heavy metals.
– Hydrophobic interactions with organic molecules.
wastewater treatment activated carbon
Activated carbon plays an indispensable role in wastewater treatment processes by consistently providing an efficient and cost-effective means of removing an extensive variety of contaminants. Its unique porous structure and sizeable surface area provide excellent options for adsorbent technologies for purifying water in both industrial and municipal applications.
Drinking Water Treatment Activated Carbon
Activated carbon (AC) is a highly porous material used in drinking water treatment to remove contaminants through adsorption. Used in filter cartridges (point-of-use) or large granular (GAC)/ powdered (PAC) beds (municipal plants), AC significantly enhances water quality and safety.
Desalination Activated Carbon
Activated carbon is chiefly used as an effective pre-treatment medium in seawater desalination. Due to its very developed pore structure and surface chemistry, the saturated activated carbon adsorbs dissolved organic compounds (algal toxins, humic acids, etc.), residual chlorine, heavy metal ions (lead, mercury, etc.), and odor precursors from seawater, protects the downstream reverse osmosis membrane system from contamination and oxidation, and its unique ability to adsorb and also help catalyze pollutants may extend the membrane durability by 30-50%.
