HEPA filters and traditional ventilation filters only remove particulate matter and therefore some other means must be employed to treat and remove gases, odors and vapors. A commonly used and readily available product to achieve this goal is activated carbon.
Activated carbon can come in many shapes, sizes and forms. Traditionally raw substrate materials such as coal, wood, peat-moss and coconut shell are thermally processed to produce an air filter quality activated carbon. A Virgin non-impregnated activated carbon is useful in the removal of general volatile organic compounds (VOC's) or hydrocarbons. It’s uses are widespread, and are frequently applied as a general purpose catch all material for non-critical applications.
For more specific and critical gas phase control, activated carbons can also be impregnated with specialty chemicals. This is done to enhance the removal efficiency and capacity for a specific contaminant that is not effectively captured by the virgin non-impregnated activated carbon. Common impregnates include phosphoric acid, sodium and potassium hydroxide. iodine, potassium permanganate and sulfur to name a few.
It is extremely important to realize that there are thousands of different types of carbons available on the market and the appropriate carbon must be selected for the specific application. That is to say that if you have purchased a “BLACK” carbon it is not necessarily what you need. For the novice, making media selections is often the most difficult aspect of the gas-phase filtration design process. Please feel free to contact us at Quatro and use our in-house chemical engineers to evaluate your needs for your specific application.
Activated Carbon, Activated Charcoal - What it does and how it works.
Activated carbon is carbon that has been treated with oxygen to open up millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms. There are so many of these that one pound of activated carbon has a surface area of 60 to 150 acres
The technology used in military gas masks.
Activated carbon is the substance that keeps military personnel safe from poisonous gasses. It is also used for water filtration.
Adsorption
Adsorption is the process where certain chemicals are attracted to activated carbon and then bond to it. The millions of pores in the activated carbon provide enormous surface area to trap these chemicals.
The bigger the filter, the more activated carbon, the more chemicals it adsorbs and the longer it keeps on working.
An activated carbon filter acts like a sponge. When it is full it can adsorb no more. The more carbon you have the more you can adsorb before changing the filter. It will last from 9 to 24 months. Most off the shelf air cleaners, air purifiers, have only a few token ounces of activated carbon sprayed on a mesh. It's not enough to have any useful long term effect.
Impregnated activated carbon
Catalysts can be added to activated carbon to enable it to attract non-carbon based chemicals. Our air quality experts will recommend the right solution to any air contamination problem you encounter.
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