Why are Coconut shells are preferred to produce activated carbon?
Thank to their high carbon content and hardness, coconut shells are an excellent raw material source to produce activated carbon. Activated carbons that are produced using coconut shells as the raw material are often sourced in geographic regions where coconuts are harvested, including India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Viet Nam.
How is coconut activated carbon produced?
Coconut shells are first charred at the coconut grower or at a centralized facility designed to produce char. Activated carbon manufacturers then purchase the char and activate it at elevated temperatures and using steam in a kiln or furnace, similar to the process for coal-based activated carbons. The final product is screened to a variety of mesh sizes for both vapor phase and liquid phase applications.
Characteristics of coconut shell-based carbons that are advanced?
Activated carbons produced from coconut shells typically have a tighter, more microporous pore structure than their coal-based counterparts. This is due to the inherent pore structure of the raw material coconut shell as compared to raw material coals. This microporosity lends itself towards certain applications where activated carbon is used.
Also, coconut shell-based carbons tend to be harder, more resistant to abrasion, and lower in ash than similar grades of coal-based carbons.
What are applications of coconut shell-based carbon?
Many of the applications where coal-based carbons have been traditionally been used are potentially good applications for coconut shell-based carbon as well. In particular, the removal of trace level organics from water streams with little to no background TOC levels is a good fit for coconut-based carbon’s microporous structure. In vapor phase applications, VOC abatement and solvent recovery (for light molecular weight organics) are good fits for coconut-based carbons.
Not every application is a good fit for coconut-shell based carbons; applications such as surface water treatment with high background TOC levels, wastewater treatment, decolorization, and the removal of bulky, high molecular weight organics from liquid or air streams tend to favor coal based carbons.
Can coconut shell-based carbons be used for drinking water treatment?
Yes. Coconut shell-based carbons have a long history in drinking water treatment and are continuously been evaluated by customers today as a potential alternative to coal-based materials.
Recently, with our invesstment in technologies and facilities, full line of coconut-based carbons meets JIS (Japan Int'l standards) for drinking water treatment.
What grades of coconut shell-based carbons are available?
We offer several types of standard coconut shell-based carbons as part of our product offering, including:
• CAC1 – high activity 12x30 mesh, used for drinking water treatment and groundwater remediation applications. A potential replacement for both 8x30 and 12x40 mesh coal-based carbons.
• CAC2 – an 8x30 mesh product intended as a drop-in replacement for 8x30 coal based carbons used for drinking water treatment and groundwater remediation applications
• CAC3 – an acid washed 12x30 mesh product targeted for high purity water applications. A potential replacement for 8x30 and 12x40 mesh acid washed coal-based carbons.
• VOCAC – 4x8 mesh product for vapor phase applications (VOC abatement and solvent recovery). A potential replacement for 4x10 granular coal-based carbon.
• VOCC – 3x6 mesh product with low pressure drop characteristics. A potential replacement for 4mm pelletized or 4x6 granular coal-based carbons.
Can coconut-based carbon be reactivated?
Yes. The procedures for obtaining approval for reactivation at one of our three reactivation facilities are exactly the same as with coal-based carbons.
What services are available with coconut-based carbons?
We offer a complete line of field services including: spent carbon profiling, spent carbon removal and packaging, non-hazardous and/or hazardous waste handling/ transportation to our reactivation plant or a hazardous waste reactivation plant, vessel inspection with minor repair, vessel reloading with replacement carbon.
Reasons to switch to Vietnam coconut shell-based carbon?
There are both technical and economic reasons to consider Vietnam coconut shell-based carbons. The technical reasons are outlined above – simply put, in many applications coconut-based carbons have a higher capacity and thus longer life than coal-based carbons.
In recent years, a number of factors have driven up the cost of coal-based activated carbons, including:
• Expensive transportation cost applying for imported Activated Carbon from EU or US.
• The overall demand for coal has increased globally, due to higher energy demands. This has led to a scarcity of supply of suitable grades of coal to produce activated carbon, and has increased the cost of the raw material coal as well.
• China has been pressured by the U. S. Treasury Department to float the Yuan (or Chinese RMB) according to global exchange rates, resulting in a devaluation of the US Dollar by approximately 14% over the past 2 years. This again impacts the cost of coal-based carbons imported from China.
All of these factors have led to recent instability in the cost of coal-based carbons. Coconut shell-based alternatives have been much more stable and predictable in cost, making these carbons a viable economic alternative as well.
If you have traditionally imported or used coal-based carbon in your application, thietbiloc.com can assist you in evaluating whether Vietnam coconut shell-based carbons may be a viable alternative.
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