Activated Carbon for Water Treatment: How to Select the Right Carbon Grade for Industrial Applications

Water treatment systems rely on activated carbon for removing organic compounds, improving water quality, and controlling unwanted taste and odor compounds. However, choosing the correct activated carbon grade is not simply a matter of selecting the product with the highest iodine number or surface area. The actual performance of activated carbon depends on several factors, including raw material, pore structure, target contaminants, water chemistry, contact time, and system design. For industrial users, selecting a suit...

Activated Carbon Iodine Number & CTC Value: A Practical Selection Guide for Industrial Buyers

If your procurement sheet only lists "iodine 1000+" or "CTC 60%," you are missing half the story. These two numbers measure entirely different pore structures. Using the wrong specification is one of the most expensive mistakes in activated carbon procurement. This guide shows how to match the right parameter—and the right Purestar product—to your actual operating conditions. What Is Iodine Number? (ASTM D4607) Iodine number measures liquid-phase micropore capacity. Under ASTM D4607, carbon is saturated with iodine solution,...

How to Select Granular Activated Carbon for PFAS Removal in Groundwater

PFAS contamination has become an important challenge in groundwater remediation and drinking water treatment. Granular activated carbon (GAC) is widely used to adsorb PFAS and other dissolved organic contaminants, but treatment performance can vary depending on the carbon type, PFAS composition and operating conditions. With EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for PFOA and PFOS set at 4 ppt, along with Hazard Index-based limits for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX (HFPO-DA)—and compliance deadlines approaching for many water utiliti...

Is a Thin Layer of Activated Carbon in Your Air Filter Actually Doing Anything?

Flip over almost any air purifier box and you'll see "activated carbon" printed somewhere on it. What the box usually doesn't tell you is how much carbon is inside — and in many cases, it's a thin coated sheet weighing a few grams. So is a thin layer activated carbon filter real filtration, or mostly marketing? The honest answer: it depends on three numbers. Why "Activated Carbon" on the Label Doesn't Mean Much Why do air purifiers use so little activated carbon? Mostly cost and space. A deep bed of granular carbon is s...

How to Select Activated Carbon for Mercury Removal from Flue Gas

Activated carbon injection (ACI) is the most widely used technology for mercury control in coal-fired power plants, waste incinerators and industrial boilers. But mercury removal performance cannot be predicted by iodine number or carbon price alone. Mercury enters the flue gas as elemental vapor (Hg⁰), oxidized mercury (Hg²⁺) or particulate-bound mercury (Hgₚ). Each form behaves differently, and the split depends on fuel composition, chlorine/bromine content, combustion temperature and existing air-pollution-control (APC) ...

How to Select Activated Carbon for H₂S Removal in Biogas

Why H₂S Removal Matters in Biogas Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) forms during anaerobic digestion of sulfur-rich organic matter. Its concentration varies with feedstock, digestion conditions, and process design. Common H₂S sources in biogas: Municipal wastewater sludge Food-processing waste Animal manure Agricultural residues Landfill waste Industrial organic wastewater If H₂S is not adequately removed, it causes pipe corrosion, engine damage, membrane contamination, reduced catalyst life, odor complaints,...