Activated carbon is a form of carbon derived from charcoal that features a very large surface area available for chemical reactions and absorptions. Activated carbon is manufactured to very be porous and thus able to achieve a great level of absorption. Activated carbon is also known as ?Active? carbon. Microporosity of activated carbon is usually determined by testing nitrogen gas absorption. One gram of activated carbon usually has a surface area of 500m?. Although normal activated carbon has a very large surface area, additional chemical treatment can produce more of the absorbing characteristics of the carbon. Some of the industrial uses of activated carbon include: Water purification, medicine, metal extraction, sewage treatment, air filters and gas masks.

One of the most helpful applications of activated carbon is removing pollutants from the air and water. Activated carbon can be used in both spill cleanup and air purification of chemical plants. Furthermore, it can be applied in groundwater remediation and drinking water filtration. Another practical use of activated carbon is the capturing of volatile organic compound (VOCs) that can be found in paint, dry cleaning, gasoline and other chemical products.

Perhaps the most popular use of activated carbon is in the field of metal finishing. It is used for purification of electroplating solutions, such as removing organic impurities from nickel. A number of organic chemicals are used in metal plating to improve their deposit qualities like smoothness, brightness and ductility. Unfortunately, when an electrical current is passed through the metal to apply these chemicals, several of the organic additives generate toxic byproducts. A large buildup of these byproducts can negatively affect the plating integrity and physical condition of these metals. The application of activated carbon removes such impurities and restores plating performance to a working level.