The main types of activated carbon and their adaptability to water treatment scenarios

(1) Classified by raw materials

1. Coal-based activated carbon

Characteristics: Low raw material cost, large output, mainly micro pores (diameter < 2nm), medium adsorption capacity, high mechanical strength (resistant to wear, suitable for flowing water bodies); Suitable application scenarios: Pre-treatment of industrial wastewater (such as removal of COD from chemical wastewater, odor removal from pharmaceutical wastewater), deep treatment of urban sewage treatment plants (reducing TOC in effluent), suitable for customers with sensitive cost and large treatment volume.

2. Shell-based activated carbon (mainly coconut shell and almond shell)

Characteristics: High specific surface area (up to 1200-1800㎡/g), well-developed micro pores with uniform diameters, fast adsorption rate, outstanding adsorption effect on small molecule organic substances (such as residual chlorine, trihalomethanes), little impact on taste; Suitable application scenarios: Drinking water purification (home water purifiers, deep treatment of waterworks), high-end industrial water (pre-treatment of ultra-pure water in the electronics industry), suitable for customers with high requirements for water purity and taste (such as drinking water enterprises, electronics factories).

3. Wood-based activated carbon

Characteristics: High mesopore content (diameter 2-50nm), strong adsorption capacity for large molecular organic substances (such as dyes in printing and dyeing wastewater, lignin in papermaking wastewater), price is between coal-based and shell-based;

Suitable application scenarios: De-colorization of industrial wastewater (printing and dyeing, papermaking wastewater), removal of antibiotic residues from livestock wastewater, suitable for customers dealing with high-concentration organic wastewater.

4. Biomass activated carbon (rice husk, straw-based)

Characteristics: Green and environmentally friendly (raw materials can be recycled), mainly mesoporous - macroporous structure, has adsorption assistance effect on colloidal particles and turbidity substances;

Suitable application scenarios: Rural decentralized wastewater treatment, agricultural livestock wastewater treatment, suitable for customers who value environmental attributes and have a smaller treatment scale.

(2) Classified by form 

1. Granular activated carbon (GAC)

Particle size 0.5-5mm, low water flow resistance, easy to fill in filters (such as column filter material layer), long replacement cycle (usually 3-6 months);

Suitable application scenarios: Large-scale water treatment systems (waterworks, industrial circulating water backwash), home central water purifiers.

2. Powdered activated carbon (PAC)

Particle size 10-50μm, large specific surface area, fast adsorption rate, needs to be fully mixed with water before separation through sedimentation / filtration, not reusable;

Suitable application scenarios: Emergency water treatment (such as sudden organic substance pollution, algae outbreak), pre-treatment of industrial wastewater (such as removing heavy metals from electroplating wastewater, de-colorization of printing and dyeing wastewater), suitable for short-term, emergency or high-concentration pollution treatment.

3. Column-shaped activated carbon

Cylindrical (diameter 3-5mm, length 5-10mm), high mechanical strength, not prone to powdering, suitable for continuous flow filtration systems;

Suitable application scenarios: Industrial wastewater deep treatment (such as end-of-line adsorption in chemical wastewater), combined treatment system for waste gas - wastewater (such as removing phenol from coke plants wastewater).