Raw material
Why hazelnut shell?
The quality of activated carbon begins with its raw material. With a high lignin ratio and dense cell walls — much like coconut shell — the hazelnut shell yields a hard, durable carbon rich in micropores. The difference: coconut is imported, while hazelnut shells pile up across the Black Sea coast after every harvest.
Founded in 2011, our company succeeded in turning this waste into a valuable industrial product at laboratory scale in 2013; we have been in industrial-scale serial production since January 2023. With a monthly capacity of 100 tons, we are Türkiye's first and only producer of hazelnut-shell-based activated carbon.
- ✓ Domestic, sustainable, waste-derived raw material
- ✓ Coconut-like hardness and pore structure
- ✓ Iodine number 1000 mg/g · Methylene blue >250 mg/g
- ✓ Granular (0–10 mm) and powdered (<150 µm) forms
| Raw material | 100% hazelnut shell (Black Sea) |
|---|---|
| Process | Indirectly heated stainless steel kiln |
| Patent | Turkish Patent NO: 2012/02871 B |
| Capacity | 100 tons/month |
| Forms | Granular 0–10 mm · Powder <150 µm |
| Testing | ASTM standards, per batch |
Process
The flame never touches the product.
In traditional brick-lined kilns, the flame and combustion gases contact the product directly; alumina, silica and calcium leach into it. In our indirectly heated stainless steel kiln — developed with German technology — heat is transferred through the steel shell and the product is activated only by its own steam. The result: low ash, a consistent pore structure, and batch-to-batch repeatability.
Granular form
0–10 mm for fixed-bed filters. Granular activated carbon →
Powdered form
Sub-150 µm for fast dosing applications. Powdered activated carbon →
Technology
How the indirectly heated kiln works. Our technology →
FAQ
About hazelnut shell activated carbon
Can activated carbon be made from hazelnut shells?
Yes. With its high lignin content and dense cell structure, the hazelnut shell is an ideal raw material for activated carbon. After carbonisation and steam activation it yields a carbon as hard as coconut-shell carbon, rich in micropores.
What is the advantage?
It is produced from a domestic, sustainable waste material — a logistics and currency advantage over imported coconut-based carbons. Its hard structure keeps attrition loss low, with an iodine number around 1000 mg/g.
Why is Akarbon's process different?
In our indirectly heated stainless steel kiln the flame never touches the product, and with no brick lining there is no mineral contamination. The process is registered under Turkish Patent NO: 2012/02871 B.
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