What Is the Working Principle of Activated Carbon Filtration in Industrial Ultrapure Water Treatment?

The removal of impurities from water by activated carbon is based on its active surface and unsaturated chemical bonds. Activated carbon has a large surface area (500-1500 m²/g) and is covered with micropores with an average diameter of 2-3 nm, giving it a high adsorption capacity. Furthermore, because the carbon atoms on the activated carbon surface are not of equal energy and contain unsaturated bonds, they tend to react chemically with foreign molecules or groups, exhibiting strong adsorption for certain organic substances. Studies have shown that the adsorption of chlorine by activated carbon is not entirely due to the physical adsorption of chlorine on its surface, but rather because the activated carbon acts as a catalyst, accelerating the hydrolysis of free chlorine and the generation of nascent oxygen. The reaction equation is as follows:

Cl₂ + H₂O == HCl = HClO

HClO_activated carbon__HCl + {O}

The {O} generated here can react with carbon in the activated carbon or other easily oxidized components to be removed: C + 2[O] - CO₂