Evaluating Activated Carbon

With over 150 varieties of activated carbon, the diverse product line of Norit Americas Inc. provides many options for carbon adsorption. Isotherm and Pilot Column testing can aid in the process of choosing the best activated carbon for your purification needs.

Isotherm Testing

Isotherm testing is a laboratory-scale batch-treatment test that evaluates a Powdered Activated Carbon's (PAC) ability to remove impurities from a liquid. Data from these laboratory adsorption tests may be used to calculate the carbon's capacity or its "adsorptive capacity". These laboratory-scale tests are also useful to identify the best performing carbon type and to define the relative economics of PAC treatment.

For more information about Isotherm testing, view the Norit Measuring Adsorptive Capacity of PAC on-line, or request a paper copy of the brochure using the Information Request page.

Pilot Column Testing

The first step in evaluation of granular activated carbon(GAC) is to run simple laboratory isotherms, using PAC to determine if the treatment goal can be met. While this test provides an indication of how well an impurity may be removed using activated carbon, it cannot give definitive scale-up data for using GAC. Therefore, pilot column tests may be conducted on the most promising carbons identified in the lab isotherm test . The pilot column test provide scale-up information useful for design of a commercial scale GAC system.

For more information about Pilot Column testing, view the Norit GAC Evaluation on-line, or request a paper copy of the brochure using the Information Request page.