Total treatment costs associated with activated carbon adsorption can be optimized with reactivation and subsequent re-use

Total treatment costs associated with activated carbon adsorption can be optimized with reactivation and subsequent re-use. Reactivation, either on- or off-site, represents a strategy that can significantly reduce overall treatment costs for the end user, while helping to greatly reduce the potential for pollutants released to the environment.yrd carbon

Reactivation is a high temperature thermal process, and more efficient in restoring the activity of spent carbon than alternate regeneration processes. The spent activated carbon is removed from the user’s treatment system and processed in a controlled atmosphere with low oxygen content, using steam as a selected oxidant. The adsorbed organics are either displaced from the activated carbon and destroyed or reduced to a carbon char that becomes part of the individual particle structure. The volatile organics are destroyed in the furnace’s afterburner and acid gases are removed by means of a chemical scrubber. The high temperature reaction with steam restores the adsorptive capacity of the activated carbon.

Through reactivation, spent carbon can be recycled for reuse, eliminating the costs and/or long-term liability associated with alternate disposal methods such as incineration or landfill. Reactivation takes what was once a waste product with potential liability and turns it into a recoverable, re-useable asset.

Reactivated carbon costs are typically 70-80 percent of the cost for new, virgin carbon. Reactivation also results in an 80 percent reduction of the greenhouse gases generated when compared to new carbon production.

Consequently, off-site reactivation using a third party reactivation company or, if justified, dedicated on-site facilities should be a serious consideration for industrial companies using activated carbon in point source, plant outfall or remediation applications.activated carbon pellets wholesale

Operating costs associated with activated carbon treatment are dependent on a number of factors including flow rates, contaminant types and concentrations, type of application (potable or industrial), site requirements, timing requirements, and length of the processing project. These factors define the exact equipment, carbon, and reactivation needs required by each individual user. Consequently, estimates of carbon usage and costs can vary widely depending upon specific applications, but some overall observations can be made.