Introduction
Carbonization is an important industrial process in many different industrial applications. It is a process that converts organic material into a solid, highly porous form known as activated or multi-dimensional carbon. Carbonization is commonly used to produce activated carbon from various natural sources, such as vegetable or animal origin. Activated carbon has numerous practical applications such as adsorbing toxic substances from liquids or gases.
Basic Principles of Carbonization
Carbonization is achieved at relatively high temperatures (over 500°C) a process called pyrolysis. During pyrolysis, complex organic materials are reduced to basic elements including carbon, hydrogen and oxygen with smaller amounts of nitrogen and sulfur. The carbonization process also removes oxygen and other volatile gases, leaving a significant fixed carbon content. The remaining carbon is then made up of fine particles of activated carbon, which have a high surface area, making them extremely effective at adsorbing substances, removing taste and odors, and purifying water.
Carbonization can be achieved in two ways. Thermal (or pyrolysis) carbonization involves applying intense heat to a material and the decomposition of the material into its base elements, most notably carbon. Chemical reaction carbonization involves a chemical reaction to convert the material into carbon, often using a catalyst such as acid or alkali.
Multi-dimensional Carbon
Multi-dimensional or activated carbon is a form of carbon often found in industrial processes. It is a highly porous material of high crystallinity and has a larger specific surface area than traditional carbon (about 24 times greater). The porosity of activated carbon allows for extremely large surface areas in comparison with traditional carbon.
Multi-dimensional carbon is generally created from a solid material such as coal, wood, or charcoal by taking the solid material and subjecting it to a controlled carbonization process. This results in the material being reduced to extremely fine particles and being extremely porous, with a very large surface area. This increases the effectiveness of the material in absorbing gases, heavy metals, and other solids and liquids as well as neutralizing taste and odor.
Applications
Multi-dimensional carbon is used in a variety of industrial applications due to its extreme porosity and surface area. They are mainly used in the form of adsorbent filter materials, adsorbing metals (including uranium), organic contaminants, and purifying water. Activated carbon is also used to remove unwanted tastes and smells from liquids and gas, as well as in medical devices such as respirators and artificial lungs. Activated carbon is also used in the oil and gas industry for purification and desulfurization.
CONCLUSION
Carbonization is an important industrial process for converting organic materials into solid, highly porous, multi-dimensional forms such as activated carbon. It is mainly used for adsorption purposes such as purifying water and removing toxic substances from liquids or gases. Carbonization is achieved either through the use of thermal energy or chemical reaction and results in the material being reduced to extremely fine particles with high surface area and porosity. The resulting activated carbon can be used in a variety of industrial applications, such as adsorbing metals, organic contaminants, and purifying liquids and gases.
