How is activated carbon produced?

In two stages: carbonisation at 400–600 °C without oxygen, then activation with steam at 800–1000 °C. The steam erodes the carbon skeleton and opens the micropores.

How do you judge activated carbon quality?

The iodine number reflects micropore volume, methylene blue reflects mesopores, ash shows impurity and hardness predicts attrition. Akarbon figures: iodine 1000 mg/g, methylene blue >250 mg/g, ash 2–3%.

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What Is Activated Carbon?

Q: What is activated carbon?

Activated carbon is an adsorbent with a very high surface area, created by carbonisation followed by steam activation. It purifies water, gas or liquids by holding contaminants on its pore surfaces.

The pore network opened by carbonisation and steam activation, the metrics that measure it, and why the feedstock decides so much.

How it is made

Activated carbon forms in two stages. First carbonisation: heated to 400–600 °C without oxygen, the raw material sheds its volatile compounds and a carbon skeleton remains. Then activation: at 800–1000 °C steam is introduced, selectively eroding that skeleton and opening the pore network.

In our kiln the flame never touches the product — heat passes indirectly through the wall. There is no brick lining either, so no mineral contamination reaches the carbon. The process is registered under Turkish Patent NO: 2012/02871 B; details on our technology page.

Pore structure: three scales

Macropores (>50 nm) are transport channels; water or gas carries contaminants inward through them. Mesopores (2–50 nm) distribute and hold larger molecules. Micropores (<2 nm) are where capture actually happens, and where most of the surface area lives.

The distribution across these three scales decides what a carbon is good for. Granular activated carbon favours flow and low pressure drop; powdered activated carbon favours contact area and speed.

How quality is measured

Four numbers summarise it: the iodine number reflects micropore volume, methylene blue reflects mesopores, ash content shows inorganic impurity, and hardness predicts attrition loss during handling and backwashing.

Our figures: iodine number 1000 mg/g, methylene blue >250 mg/g, ash 2–3%, moisture 3–5%. Testing follows ASTM standards, per batch, with documents on the technical data sheets page.

Why the raw material decides so much

Pore structure is largely inherited from the cell wall of the feedstock. Soft materials (wood, peat) yield more mesopores; hard shells produce micropore-rich carbon that resists attrition.

With its high lignin content and dense cell walls, the hazelnut shell gives a structure very close to coconut shell. Full comparison: hazelnut shell or coconut shell?