Bituminous Coal Based Activated Carbon

October 21, 2025

Bituminous Coal Based Activated Carbon

What is Bituminous Coal Based Activated Carbon?

It is a type of activated carbon produced from bituminous coal, a relatively soft coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen. This raw material gives the final product a specific set of properties that make it exceptionally effective for a wide range of adsorption tasks.

It can be manufactured in several forms, including:

  • Granular (GAC): Crushed and screened to various particle sizes.

  • Pelletized (EAC): Extruded into cylindrical pellets.

  • Powdered (PAC): Finely ground for batch processes.

Key Characteristics and Advantages

Bituminous coal imparts several critical properties to the activated carbon:

  1. Balanced Pore Structure: This is its most significant advantage. It has a wide range of pore sizes, including:

    • Micropores (<2 nm): For adsorbing very small molecules.

    • Mesopores (2-50 nm): For adsorbing larger organic molecules, dyes, and many taste and odor compounds.

    • Macropores (>50 nm): Act as "transport tunnels" to the interior of the carbon particle.
      This balance makes it a "broad-spectrum" adsorbent, effective against a diverse mix of contaminants.

  2. High Hardness and Abrasion Resistance: Bituminous-based carbon is very hard and durable. This results in:

    • Low pressure drop in filter beds (as particles don't break down into fines that clog the bed).

    • High resistance to attrition during backwashing in water filters or handling.

    • Longer service life and lower carbon loss.

  3. High Density: It has a higher bulk density compared to carbons from wood or lignite. This means more adsorption capacity can be packed into a smaller volume filter.

  4. High Surface Area: It typically has a very high surface area (often 500 - 1200 m²/g or more), providing ample space for adsorption.

Primary Applications

Its versatility makes it suitable for both liquid-phase (water) and vapor-phase (air) applications.

1. Water & Wastewater Treatment (Liquid-Phase)

This is its largest application area.

  • Municipal Drinking Water:

    • Removal of Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) like trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs).

    • Removal of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) which causes color and reacts with chlorine to form DBPs.

    • Reduction of taste and odor compounds (e.g., geosmin and MIB).

  • Industrial Wastewater:

    • Treatment of water from chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, and petrochemical industries.

    • Removal of synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs), phenols, and dyes.

  • Groundwater Remediation:

    • Effective in "pump-and-treat" systems for removing chlorinated solvents (TCE, PCE), BTEX (benzene, toluene, etc.), and other industrial chemicals.

2. Air & Gas Purification (Vapor-Phase)

  • Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Control: Used in emission control systems for industries like painting, printing, and plastics manufacturing to capture solvent vapors.

  • Landfill Gas Recovery: Purifies methane gas by removing trace VOCs and siloxanes, protecting engines and turbines used for energy generation.

  • Odor Control: Used in systems treating air from wastewater treatment plants, rendering plants, and compost facilities to remove hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans.

3. Food & Beverage Industry

  • Decolorization: Used to bleach and decolorize sugar syrups, corn sweeteners, and citric acid.

  • Purification: Purification of edible oils, spirits, and other food products to remove impurities and off-flavors.

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