Are you an aquarium hobbyist, or own a water purification system? If not, chances are you have no idea what activated carbon is, or what it could possibly do in HEPA Air Purifiers. Even if the concept itself isn't totally foreign, you probably still don't know exactly what it does.
How Is Active Carbon Used In HEPA Air Purifiers?
Choosing HEPA air purifiers is often the first time most people encounter activated carbon. They begin their search because of allergies or asthma, but they have no real idea how these machines work. As they look deeper, they'll start to learn that odors and chemicals are what's actually causing the vast majority of the issues they're trying to remedy. Most quality HEPA air purifiers are designed to eliminate allergens as well as odors and chemicals in the air. This is where the activated carbon comes in.
Was Active Carbon Used Before HEPA Air Purifiers?
Activated carbon has actually been around for quite a while, and though it sounds quite scientific, our ancestors have made good use of it for at least the last two centuries. Back then, they already knew of activated carbon's extraordinary absorption qualities. In the early 1900's, the stuff was produced and sold commercially in the form of a powder. At the time it was only used to remove color from sugar or taste or smell from water. Although we didn't know it at the time, that was barely the tip of what this stuff is capable of. In World War I, the military discovered that they could use activated carbon in gas masks, filtering chemical agents from the air for the soldiers. The soldiers also used it for water purification, just like their ancestors. By this point, it was also available commercially as a granular form instead of just powder, which was when it began finding uses in even more situations.
What Does "Activated" Mean?
You're probably wondering why we're referring to this carbon as "activated." Is there such a thing as non-activated carbon? Well, the heat used in "activating" the carbon is what drives out the impurities in the carbon itself. This leaves a place for the impurities in whatever it is the carbon is cleaning to reside. So activating carbon is kind of like emptying a sponge, only with head instead of pressure. After activated carbon becomes full, it can actually be reactivated by re-heating it. This is, however, not a good idea, and is considered dangerous and impractical. Non-activated carbon is basically charcoal or soot.
Are There Different Types Of Activated Carbon?
There are a variety of types of activated carbon, and it is described in a variety of ways, but generally activated carbon includes a wide range of amorphous carbon-based materials. These materials have a high degree of porosity (lots of holes) and a relatively large surface area. Basically, this means it has excellent absorbent characteristics. These absorbent characteristics are why activated carbon works so well filtering air and water both. - 31822
How Is Active Carbon Used In HEPA Air Purifiers?
Choosing HEPA air purifiers is often the first time most people encounter activated carbon. They begin their search because of allergies or asthma, but they have no real idea how these machines work. As they look deeper, they'll start to learn that odors and chemicals are what's actually causing the vast majority of the issues they're trying to remedy. Most quality HEPA air purifiers are designed to eliminate allergens as well as odors and chemicals in the air. This is where the activated carbon comes in.
Was Active Carbon Used Before HEPA Air Purifiers?
Activated carbon has actually been around for quite a while, and though it sounds quite scientific, our ancestors have made good use of it for at least the last two centuries. Back then, they already knew of activated carbon's extraordinary absorption qualities. In the early 1900's, the stuff was produced and sold commercially in the form of a powder. At the time it was only used to remove color from sugar or taste or smell from water. Although we didn't know it at the time, that was barely the tip of what this stuff is capable of. In World War I, the military discovered that they could use activated carbon in gas masks, filtering chemical agents from the air for the soldiers. The soldiers also used it for water purification, just like their ancestors. By this point, it was also available commercially as a granular form instead of just powder, which was when it began finding uses in even more situations.
What Does "Activated" Mean?
You're probably wondering why we're referring to this carbon as "activated." Is there such a thing as non-activated carbon? Well, the heat used in "activating" the carbon is what drives out the impurities in the carbon itself. This leaves a place for the impurities in whatever it is the carbon is cleaning to reside. So activating carbon is kind of like emptying a sponge, only with head instead of pressure. After activated carbon becomes full, it can actually be reactivated by re-heating it. This is, however, not a good idea, and is considered dangerous and impractical. Non-activated carbon is basically charcoal or soot.
Are There Different Types Of Activated Carbon?
There are a variety of types of activated carbon, and it is described in a variety of ways, but generally activated carbon includes a wide range of amorphous carbon-based materials. These materials have a high degree of porosity (lots of holes) and a relatively large surface area. Basically, this means it has excellent absorbent characteristics. These absorbent characteristics are why activated carbon works so well filtering air and water both. - 31822
