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©1997, AMERICAN HAKKO PRODUCTS, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
23
APPENDIX C.
The properties of activated carbon.
The activated carbon odor and gas filter, part no. 999-182, is the same size as the HEPA/carbon filter, part no. 999-137, for
interchangeability in the HJ3100. (It is also the same size as the particulate filter, part no. 999-176, for obvious reasons.)
The activated carbon is made from virgin coconut-shell, with a CCl4 activity of 60% by weight (CCl4 = carbon tetrachloride).
That means that a test sample of this carbon will adsorb up to 60% by weight of the stuff passed through it. That is why the filter
itself is pleated - to subject the air-mass passing through it to the largest possible surface area of carbon. As an estimate, a given
volume of air will pass through at least 3 layers of filter material - so that 60% is removed, three times, for an overall adsorption
rating greater than 80%.
The net media area of the 999-182 is 13 ft²; the effective adsorption area is 1,950,000 ft
2
(the 'media' is impregnated with one
pound of activated carbon - see below). It is effective on most organic compounds and will collect, by adsorption, approx .2lb. of
vapors. That is a lot of molecules.
A prefilter is required. Carbon will remove molecules, not particles!
Activated carbon is the trade name for a carbonaceous adsorbent, defined as follows: Activated carbons are non-hazardous,
processed, carbonaceous products, having a porous structure and a large internal surface area. These materials can adsorb a wide
variety of substances, i.e. they are able to attract molecules to their internal surface, and are therefore called adsorbents. The
volume of pores of the activated carbons is generally greater than 0.2 ml g -1. The internal surface area is generally greater than
400 m
2
g
-1
. 453.6 x 400 m2 x 10.76 ft2/m2 = 1.95 x 106 ft
2
. The width of the pores ranges from 0.3 to several thousand nm.
TABLE C.
THE RELATIVE ADSORPTIVE ABILITY OF ACTIVATED CARBON AGAINST VARIOUS ODOR SOURCES.
(This is by no means an exhaustive list.)
Column A, adsorptive ability:
E - Excellent; high capacity. One unit of activated carbon will adsorb, on the average, 33.33% of its weight of these compounds.
G - Good; satisfactory adsorption. One unit of activated carbon will adsorb, on the average, 16.67% of its weight of these
compounds.
F - Fair; some adsorption. One unit of activated carbon will adsorb less than 10% of its weight of these compounds.
P - Poor. Activated carbon is not suitable for these compounds.
Compound A
Compound
A Compound A
Acetic acid
E
Cleaning compounds (most)
E
Phosgene
G
Acetic anhydride
E
Diesel fumes
E
Pitch
E
Amines
F
Essential oils (hair)
E
Pollen
G
Ammonia F
Eucalyptole
E
Poultry
odors
E
Automobile exhausr
G
Fertiliser, organic (manure)
E
Putrefaction
G
Body odors, human
E
Film processing odors
G
Pyridine
E
Borane
G
Fish odors
E
Resins, pine
E
Bromine E
Flowers
E
Rubber E
Burnt flesh
E
Formic acid
G
Sauerkraut
E
Burnt food
E
Gangrene
E
Sewer odors
E
Caprylic acid
E
Garlic
E
Skalote
E
Carbolic acid
E
Incense (most)
E
Slaughtering odors
G
Carbon dioxide
P
Iodine
E
Smog
E
Carbon monoxide
P
Iodoform
E
Soldering flux odors
E
Cheese (except chèvre vieux)
E
Kitchen odors, common
E
Sour milk
E
Chlorine
G
Lactic acid
E
Tobacco smoke
E