Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Information Regarding Activated Carbon Philippines Residents Need To Have

By Anthony Johnson


Activated (active) carbon or charcoal is a type of carbon that has a high level of porosity that makes it quite effective in adsorption and in certain chemical reactions. This is mainly due to the significantly increased surface area. To increase the adsorption properties even further, the charcoal is often subjected to chemical treatment. Other substances with similar properties include activated coal and coke. Before using activated carbon Philippines residents need to understand a number of things.

A number of raw materials are available to be used as a source of carbon. They include, among others, coconut husks, nutshells, petroleum pitch, wood and peat among others. There are two main options of activation: a physical process and a chemical one. During physical activation, the raw materials are burned with hot gases in air. The temperature needed for this is anything between 600 and 1200 degree Celsius.

Chemical activation involves impregnating the source materials with certain chemicals before they are treated further. Chemicals that may be used in this process include salts, alkalis and acids such as zinc chloride, sodium hydroxide, calcium chloride and phosphoric acid. The next step in the process is known as carbonization. The temperatures needed here are comparatively lower and range from 450 and 900 degrees Celsius. In general, the chemical alternative is more preferred.

Active charcoal is widely used in the medical field. One of the commonest uses is in managing drug poisoning and overdose resulting from oral intake of certain chemicals. Examples of chemicals for which the charcoal has been effective include arsenic, lithium, ethanol, methanol, cyanide and acids among others. It is available in many places as an over the counter tablet. Caution should be taken to avoid aspiration as it may lead to aspiration pneumonitis.

There are a number of environmental and industrial applications that exist. Here, it is mainly used in processes concerned with the removal of pollutants from water and air. They include, for instance, spill clean ups, drinking water filtration, remediation of ground water and the capture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) derived from petroleum products. As it purifies air it also determines the radon concentration.

Active charcoal is classified in a number of ways depending on physical attributes and uses. Some of the physical properties that may be used include the iodine number, the surface area, the density, ash level and the mesh size among others. Powdered activated charcoal is made of granules less than 1 millimeter in diameter and is mainly used in process units such as clarifiers and gravity filters among others. Granular charcoal has larger particles and us mainly used in water treatment and deodorization.

Active charcoal plays a vital role in mercury scrubbing. This is necessary in medical incinerators and power plants that are powered by coal. The charcoal is first impregnated with iodine or sulfur to make it most effective for this purpose. The resultant compound is then disposed of in a landfill.

Activated charcoal is a compound with numerous applications that range from industrial to agricultural to medical. The list has been growing by the day as more uses are discovered. If you have plans of using the charcoal, ensure that you get in touch with an expert. This is because, there are different types all with different physical properties.




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