Companies:  Buy Activated Charcoal   Cabot   Calgon Carbon Corp  Chemviron

See also Water purification in the Purification section

Activated Carbon (AKA Activated Charcoal) is typically derived form charcoal or coal, although other raw materials including wood, sawdust, coconut shells, bamboo, peat, petroleum coke are also used. Charcoal is made by burning wood. But charcoal is not “activated charcoal”. Instead, it is one raw material for the manufacture of activated barbons. There are two basic activation processes (1) charcoal is once again heated to very hihg temperatures in the presence of oxidizing gases such as CO2, stea, or air or (2) charcoal is impregnated with chemicals such as acids like phosphoric acid or salts like zinc chloride and then exposred to high temperature. The activation process futher erode the charcoal’s internal surfaces which increases the adsorption capacity by creating an internal network of even smaller pores rendering it two to three times as effective a regular charcoal. 

Activated carbon is used as an emergency decontaminant in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is used after a person swallows or absorbs almost any toxic drug or chemical. PULSORB®PGC is a powdered activated carbon fit for consumption in the treatmnet of ingested toxins. 

Activated carbon is also used in the purificaiton of pharmaceutical products such as proteins.

AC is also widely used as an adsorbent in the water and air treatment industries due to its exceptionally high surface area.