Activated Carbon Like Activated Carbon From Rice Husk, Straw, Cashew Nut Shell, Coir Pitch, Wood Charcoal, Powdered Activated Carbon, Impregnated Carbon, Polymers Coated, Granula With Project Profiles (Fundamentals, Applications, Chemistry And Synthesis)

Complete Technology Handbook on Activated Carbon (Engineers India Research Institute, ISBN 9788189765682) covers activated carbon from feedstock selection and activation through characterisation, application and plant economics.

Production sections cover biomass pyrolysis and char activation, feedstock properties including heat value, moisture content, composition, fuel size and density, pyrolysis types, laboratory-scale pyrolysis and activation, pore size distribution, and granular activated carbon generation, with rotary kiln reactor operation for char activation. Feedstock-specific sections cover coconut shell activated carbon through raw material preparation, carbonization, activation, washing, drying, grinding, screening and packaging; wood waste and chips with chemical and physical activation routes and biomass carbonization plant equipment; coal-based activated carbon; and activated carbon from waste tyre pyrolysis including carbon black activation with sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Microwave-assisted activation and microwave pyrolysis are covered separately.

Characterisation sections cover physical, physico-chemical and structural properties, volumetric characterisation, determination of the pH of zero-point charge and surface functional groups, FTIR spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen and carbon dioxide adsorption isotherms, immersion enthalpy and temperature-programmed reduction. Grade properties covered include iodine number, molasses number, apparent density, hardness and abrasion number, ash content, carbon tetrachloride activity and particle size distribution, across powdered, granular, extruded, impregnated, polymer-coated, cloth and biochar forms.

Application sections cover water and wastewater treatment including biological activated carbon and ozone-BAC processes, heavy metal and antibiotic removal, air and gas purification, VOC capture and odour control, soil remediation, agricultural soil improvement, methane and butane storage, energy storage and carbon dioxide capture, medical use as an antidote and in wound dressings, and food and beverage applications including sugar and sweetener decolorization, edible oil purification and spirit filtration. Further sections cover regeneration methods, laboratory adsorption procedures, carbon adsorber configurations and four project profiles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Complete Technology Handbook on Activated Carbon cover?

The Complete Technology Handbook on Activated Carbon (EIRI, ISBN 9788189765682) covers activated carbon manufacture and use end to end. Its main divisions are: biomass pyrolysis and activation technology; feedstock-specific production from coconut shell, wood waste, paddy husk, palm shell, coal and waste tyres; activated carbon categorisation and grade properties; characterisation and laboratory methods; regeneration and reactivation; environmental applications in water, air and soil; industrial, food, beverage, agricultural and medical applications; advanced applications in catalysis, energy storage and carbon capture; and four project profiles with capital and turnover figures.

Who is this activated carbon technology handbook written for?

This handbook is written for readers who need production process detail alongside application and specification knowledge. Its intended audience includes activated carbon manufacturers and process engineers, water and wastewater treatment specialists selecting carbon grades, food, beverage and edible oil processors using carbon for decolorization, environmental engineers working on air and soil remediation, researchers in adsorption and porous materials, students of chemical engineering, technical libraries, and entrepreneurs or consultants preparing project reports for an activated carbon unit.

Who should consider starting an activated carbon manufacturing business, and why?

Activated carbon manufacture suits entrants located near a reliable supply of a suitable carbonaceous residue, because feedstock availability and freight cost dominate the economics of a low-density raw material. Coconut and palm shell producing regions, timber and plywood belts, and rice milling clusters all support units of this kind. The demand case is durable rather than fashionable: water and wastewater treatment obligations continue to tighten, food and beverage processors need decolorizing carbon as a consumable, air purification and VOC control demand grows with industrial regulation, and emerging uses in energy storage and carbon capture add long-term optionality. Carbon is also a consumable rather than a capital item, so customers reorder. The constraints deserve careful assessment. Activation requires sustained high-temperature kiln operation, so fuel or energy cost is a major line item and kiln design and refractory life matter commercially. Product must meet the specification the customer tests against, whether iodine number, molasses number, hardness or ash content, and consistency across batches determines whether supply contracts renew. Pollution control consent is required for both the carbonization and activation stages given emissions and effluent from chemical activation routes. And commodity grades face import competition, so many successful units target a defined application grade rather than general-purpose carbon.

What feedstocks does the book cover for activated carbon production?

The book covers several raw material routes, each with its own process description. Coconut shell activated carbon is covered as a six-stage process producing both granular and powder grades. Wood waste and chips are covered through pyrolysis, chemical and physical activation of biochar, characterisation and adsorption studies, with biomass carbonization plant and furnace details. Waste tyres are covered through pyrolysis, carbon black activation and applications in wastewater treatment, energy storage and hydrogen storage. Coal-based production is covered through carbonization, activation and post-treatment. Project profiles additionally cover paddy husk and palm shell routes. General biomass content covers feedstock selection criteria and the factors influencing final carbon characteristics.

What activated carbon grades and specifications does the book explain?

Grade content covers the main product forms: powdered, granular, extruded, impregnated, polymer-coated, activated carbon cloth and biochar activated charcoal, plus pelletized and catalytic grades. Specification content covers the parameters buyers test against, including iodine number, molasses number, apparent density, hardness and abrasion number, ash content, carbon tetrachloride activity and particle size distribution, together with pore structure, adsorptive properties, moisture and pH value. Selection guidance is given for particular applications, including choice of granular carbon for biological treatment, coconut granular carbon and molecular sieve for spirit filtration, and carbon selection for soil remediation and sweetener decolorization.

Does the book cover activated carbon regeneration and reactivation?

Yes. Regeneration content covers thermal regeneration, wet oxidation regeneration, solvent regeneration, electrochemical regeneration and catalytic wet oxidation, along with biological regeneration and its process variables. Equipment content covers the carbon regeneration process, regeneration kilns and rotary kiln design parameters. This matters commercially because spent carbon handling and reactivation determine the total cost of ownership for large treatment users, and reactivation is itself a service business adjacent to manufacture.

What water and wastewater treatment applications does the book cover?

Water treatment coverage is the largest application section. It includes activated carbon filter design for water and wastewater, organic pollutant removal, and biological activated carbon technology with its operating parameters, microbial immobilisation on carriers, biocommunity structure and pollutant degradation mechanisms, applied to textile, petroleum, dyeing and domestic wastewater and to humus in raw water. Ozone-BAC content covers the mechanism and the effect of ozonation on molecular weight distribution and biodegradability. Heavy metal content covers precipitation by hydroxide and sulfide routes, coagulation and flocculation, chelation, ion exchange, adsorption and reverse osmosis, with specific treatment of hexavalent chromium, lead, copper, iron and manganese, alongside nitrogen and phosphorus removal and antibiotic removal by adsorption, biofilm and membrane routes.

Does the book include project economics and cost data?

Yes. Four project profiles give economics, each covering land and building, plant and machinery, fixed capital, monthly working capital requirement, total capital investment and annual turnover. The projects are: activated carbon and sodium silicate from paddy husk and caustic soda; granular and powder activated carbon from coconut shell; activated carbon from wood waste and chips; and palm shell charcoal and activated carbon. The paddy husk project is notable for producing sodium silicate alongside carbon, which changes the revenue profile compared with a single-product unit.