Exploring the Multifunctional Nature of Activated Carbon Filtration
Granular activated carbon (GAC) is commonly used for removing organic constituents and residual disinfectants in water supplies. This not only improves taste and minimizes health hazards, it protects other water treatment units such as reverse osmosis membranes and ion exchange resins from possible damage due to oxidation or organic fouling. Activated carbon is a favored water treatment technique because of its multifunctional nature and the fact that it adds nothing detrimental to the treated water.
Most activated carbons are made from raw materials such as nut shells, wood, coal and petroleum.
Typical surface area for activated carbon is approximately 1,000 square meters per gram (m2/gm). However, different raw materials produce different types of activated carbon varying in hardness, density, pore and particle sizes, surface areas, extractables, ash and pH. These differences in properties make carbons often preferable over other methods in various applications.
The two principal mechanisms by which activated carbon removes contaminants from water are adsorption and catalytic reduction. Organics are removed by adsorption and residual disinfectants are removed by catalytic reduction. Factors that affect the performance of activated carbon are
Organic Removal
Organic material in public water supplies comes from decaying plant life, which becomes more soluble in water over time and exists as large, high-molecular weight organic acids (non-polar weak acids). Eventually, smaller molecular weight acids of varying sizes form. Typical organic acid molecules range in molecular weight from a few hundred to tens of thousands.
The size, number and chemical structure of organic acid molecules depend on a large number of factors including water pH and temperature. Accordingly, there exists an almost infinite number of organic acids. As a result, removing organics can be difficult and is always site-specific.
Activated carbon's adsorptive properties are used to remove organics. Generally, adsorption takes place because all molecules exert forces to adhere to each other. Activated carbon adsorbs organic material because the attractive forces between the carbon surface (non-polar) and the contaminant (non-polar) are stronger than the forces keeping the contaminant dissolved in water (polar).
The adsorptive forces are weak and cannot occur unless the organic molecules are close to the carbon's surface. The large surface area of the activated carbon, due to its particle size and pore configuration, allows for the adsorption to take place.Factors that decrease solubility and/or increase accessibility to the pores improve the performance of the activated carbon filter. Carbon filter capacity can be roughly estimated at 0.1 pound of organics per 1 pound of carbon at a flow rate of 1 to 2 gallons per minute per cubic foot (gpm/cu.ft.) and a bed depth of 3 feet.
Residual Disinfectants Removal
Activated carbon can remove and destroy residual disinfectants (chlorine and chloramine) through a catalytic reduction reaction. This is a chemical reaction that involves a transfer of electrons from the activated carbon surface to the residual disinfectant. In other words, activated carbon acts as a reducing agent.
Activated carbon's removal of chlorine reduces the chlorine to a non-oxidative chloride ion. The reaction is very fast and takes place in the first few inches of a new activated carbon bed. (Where removal of organics by activated carbon takes minutes, removal of chlorine literally takes seconds). The chlorine capacity of new activated carbon is 1 pound of chlorine per pound of carbon at a flow rate of 3 to 5 gpm/cu.ft. and a bed depth of 3 feet.
Chloramine removal by activated carbon is a much slower reaction. The predominant species of chloramine in city water supplies (pH about 7 to 8) is monochloramine. The reaction with activated carbon and monochloramine also renders a non-oxidative chloride ion. Since the rate of reaction is considerably slower, the flow rate should be 0.5 gpm/cu. ft. and the bed depth greater than 3 feet.
Material Considerations
Activated carbon beds are filters and need to be backwashed periodically. A freeboard of about 50 percent should be incorporated into the vessel design to allow backwash in place. Otherwise, external backwash is required. The backwash step does not "regenerate" the carbon or de-adsorb contaminants. The backwash step reclassifies the bed and removes any fines or suspended matter.
Carbon fines are generated during transport, handling and loading of activated carbon. These fines need to be backwashed out before service. Pre-wetted and backwashed carbons are available that minimize the fines and also eliminate the problems caused by carbon dust in a facility. Loading carbon tanks with dry carbon is a messy, hazardous job. Using pre-wetted carbon eliminates the airborne dust and makes for a clean plant environment.
Processed grades of activated carbon are available that include medical/ pharmaceutical grades, electroplating grades, and powdered or pellet carbons. Activated carbon is a proven technology for the removal of naturally occurring organics and residual disinfectants.
The design of an activated carbon filtration system needs to take into account the differences in the water to be treated, the type of activated carbon used, and the effluent quality and operating parameters.
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