By James R. Graham, Ph.D, Senior Scientist
and
Douglas F. Gillen, Director Of Environmental Products,
Siemens Water Technologies

The recent decision by the Department of Commerce (DOC) affirming their preliminary tariff on imports of activated carbon from China is continuing to increase the operating cost for plants that rely on this critical material for treating their drinking water. The tariffs have increased the cost of all virgin activated carbons, such as coconut shell-based carbons from non-subject countries and domestically produced coal-based activated carbons. Thus, reactivated carbon is once again emerging as a strong alternative to virgin carbon. Reactivated carbons can be used in both liquid and vapor phase applications and in potable as well as industrial sites.

Reactivated carbons are produced by processing spent carbons at a specialized facility using steam and elevated temperatures. Reactivation restores the surface area and pore volume of the spent carbon so that its performance is close to that of virgin carbon.

The organic materials driven off the spent carbon during the reactivation process are completely mineralized in the reactivation furnace and by oxidation in the afterburner to form simple environmentally acceptable compounds. This process can be applied to activated carbons used in both liquid phase and vapor phase applications and to both coal- and coconut-based carbons. The coconut shell carbons are especially well suited to reactivation since they are physically harder than the coal-based carbons, and losses due to attrition during handling and reactivation are lower.

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•Full Article: The Search For Virgin Carbon Alternatives In Light Of New Market Costs