Production: Chemical Activation

• The original material for producing activated charcoal is always some organic substance such as nut shells, peat, wood or petroleum pitch. In chemical activation, this organic material is impregnated with chemicals. Usually phosphoric acid, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide or zinc chloride are used. The mixture is then heated at 450 to 900 degrees Celsius. The material converts to pure carbon with heating, and develops a granular and porous appearance.
  
  

Production: Physical Reactivation

• The organic material that will be converted to activated charcoal can be heated, at 600 to 900 degrees Celsius, in a chamber, where the oxygen has been removed and replaced with an inert gas such as argon. Or, the organic material can be heated at 600 to 1200 degrees Celsius in a chamber with an oxidizing atmosphere such as steam or oxygen. Just as in chemical activation, the finished product is pure carbon and has a granular and porous appearance.
  
  

Further Processing

• After the activated charcoal is produced, it is frequently processed in different ways for different applications. It can be ground into a finer powder or separated with sieves into different grain sizes. Activated charcoal can also be mixed with binding chemicals and extruded into blocks or other shapes. Additionally, it can be impregnated with other chemicals, coated with a polymer or formed into threads and woven into cloth.
  
  

Uses: Purification

• The most common use for activated charcoal is purification of fluids or gases. The carbon absorbs many chemicals and is used in the filtration of water at utility plants, the purification of gases in very sensitive environments such as in museums and during industrial production of chemicals.
  
  

Uses: Deodorizing

• Because activated charcoal binds with the organic molecules that produce odors, it makes a very effective deodorizer. Some commercial products incorporate activated charcoal in their formulations. On the other hand, activated charcoal has been used for decades on its own as a room deodorizer in homes and businesses.
  
  

Uses: Medical Treatment

• Activated charcoal is often given to patients who have consumed poisons, after their stomach has been pumped. The activated charcoal adsorbs the toxic substance and moves through the gastrointestinal tract without being digested. Activated carbon is also used in a process called hemoperfusion, in which a patient's blood is passed through a device that removes waste products. Hemoperfusion is performed on patients with renal failure, poisoning or before and after a liver transplant.