Differences in the uses of coconut shell activated carbon and columnar activated carbon

Activated carbon, as a highly efficient adsorption material, is widely used in water treatment, air purification, food and medicine, chemical industry and other fields. Among them, coconut shell activated carbon and columnar activated carbon are two common types, but due to the differences in raw materials, production processes and physical properties, they have significant differences in specific uses.

1. Raw materials and structural characteristics

Coconut shell activated carbon: Made from natural coconut shells, it is made by high-temperature carbonization and activation. It has the characteristics of developed micropores, large specific surface area (1000-2000 m²/g), strong adsorption capacity, etc., and is usually in granular or broken form.

Columnar activated carbon: It is mostly made of coal or wood powder as raw materials, and is extruded into a cylindrical shape (diameter 1-4mm) with the addition of a binder. It has high mechanical strength, high bulk density, and low bed resistance. It is suitable for continuous flow gas or liquid treatment systems.

2. Comparison of main uses

(1) Application of coconut shell activated carbon

Drinking water purification: Due to its high adsorption performance, it can effectively remove residual chlorine, organic matter, odor, etc. in water, and is often used in household water purifiers and bottled water production.

Food and pharmaceutical industry: Used for decolorization, impurity removal and purification of sugar solution, alcohol, and medicine to ensure product safety and pollution-free.

High-precision gas adsorption: Such as gas masks and air purifiers, it can adsorb harmful gases such as formaldehyde and benzene, but it is mainly used in small-scale, high-demand scenarios.

(2) Application of columnar activated carbon

Industrial waste gas treatment: Suitable for waste gas treatment systems with large air volume and continuous operation, such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds) adsorption, flue gas desulfurization and denitrification, etc.

Chemical gas purification: Used for the removal of hydrogen sulfide and mercury vapor in natural gas and petroleum gas, as well as oil mist filtration in air separation processes.

Wastewater treatment: In industrial wastewater treatment, columnar activated carbon is suitable for fixed bed adsorption towers because of its good pressure resistance and difficulty in pulverization.

3. Selection basis

Coconut shell activated carbon is more suitable for high-precision adsorption, such as drinking water, food and medicine, and other fields with high purity requirements.

Columnar activated carbon is suitable for large-scale industrial gas or liquid treatment. Because of its high mechanical strength and low operating resistance, it is suitable for long-term continuous use.

4. Development trend

With the improvement of environmental protection requirements, the application of modified activated carbon (such as loaded metals or chemical functional groups) has increased. Coconut shell activated carbon has more potential in high value-added fields (such as medicine and high-end water purification), while columnar activated carbon still dominates in large-scale application scenarios such as industrial waste gas treatment and energy and chemical industry. When choosing, enterprises need to weigh the adsorption efficiency, cost and use environment according to specific needs.