Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Activated Carbon vs Colloids?

VeritasC&E - 27-7-2022 at 07:08


Will activated carbon (plain? functionalized?) remove (any?/most?/all?) inorganic colloidal particles from a solution?

If not, do you have any other suggestions? Maybe something that agglomerates them so they can be separated via microfiltration?

[Edited on 27-7-2022 by VeritasC&E]

B(a)P - 27-7-2022 at 16:44

Activated carbon is not ideal for this, it is not as efficient as other means. As you suggest, a compound to promote flocculation followed by filtration is the way to go. Ferric chloride or aluminium sulfate are two good contenders for promoting flocculation and removing inorganic colloidal material.

VeritasC&E - 29-7-2022 at 09:15

Quote: Originally posted by B(a)P  
Activated carbon is not ideal for this, it is not as efficient as other means. As you suggest, a compound to promote flocculation followed by filtration is the way to go. Ferric chloride or aluminium sulfate are two good contenders for promoting flocculation and removing inorganic colloidal material.


Thank you! I've been reading up on the topic after reading your message. What I've learned so far is that in the right conditions coagulation and aggregation works to great effect. It's a science of its own though and it's definitely not a one-size fits all thing (it gets complicated, for instance, to effectively floculate at lower pH).

I wish all was as simple as removing colour and odour with AC in aqueous solutions (it would better fit my more limited proficency in the field). I like it every time I come across one of these miracle solutions that work to great effect over a wide range of parameters (when I initially used AC I couldn't believe it actually worked so well in such different conditions and with such a variety of smelling / colouring contaminants).