My Apologies for reposting this entire article, but the archiving system of the Philippine Star just doesn’t work that well. Interesting discovery indeed from the Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines.
If their activated carbon is indeed up to par with current standards and is cheaper to create, then they just helped usher in an era of cheap environmentalism. This could spur raising of environmental standards and controls even higher, given that cost won’t be much of a factor anymore.
Activated Carbon is primarily used in gas purification, metal extraction, water purification, medicine, sewage treatment, air filters in gas masks and filter masks .
Original Article here
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DOST develops better activated carbon reactor
By Helen Flores
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has developed sophisticated equipment that will minimize the cost and time of producing activated carbon used for water and air purification.
Russell Pili, senior science research specialist of the DOST’s Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD), said the new activated carbon reactor has a capacity of 15 kilograms per hour compared to the current 12 kg per hour.
Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is the most widely used absorbent for industrial applications and environmental cleanup such as in wastewater treatment, air purification, and treatment of drinking water.
Pili said the development of the new activated carbon reactor was the third project conducted by the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), also an attached agency of the DOST, on activated carbon processing.
The ITDI developed the first two activated carbon reactors with a capacity of one and 12 kg per hour, respectively.
Activated carbon, commonly made from coconut shell, is ideal for gas or liquid phase applications where purification at trace concentration is required.
Vapor phase applications include indoor air quality, gas respirators, industrial processes, and pollution control.
On the other hand, liquid phase applications include those on gold recovery and water purification.
Pili said it only takes eight hours to produce activated carbon using the new equipment compared to one day using the old one.
She said that in a recent investors’ forum, three private companies, mostly from the charcoal manufacturing business, expressed interest in the new equipment.
Pili said the technology would also boost the income of those engaged in the charcoal business since one kilo of activated carbon is double the price of one kilo of charcoal.
Pili said small and medium enterprises could make use of the technology, which will be ready for commercialization by next year.
Pili said the price of the equipment has yet to be determined, although she said it would be affordable.
Aside from coconut shell, other raw materials that can be used to make activated carbon are wood, coal, and agricultural materials.
The equipment has minimum energy requirements, she said, since heat required to maintain the temperature for activation is generated within the reactor.
The equipment is not emitting sulfur oxide since heat is obtained from biomass combustion, assuring no increase in greenhouse gases, she said.
Energy in the form of “low-calorific” gas is formed during the process, which can be used for other applications such as drying coconut meat and other agro-industrial operations.
“The low production cost results in a cheaper product. This gives the product a competitive edge in local and foreign markets,” PCIERD said.
PCIERD said the Philippines, being a foremost coconut-producing country, has a comparative advantage in the production of coco activated carbon.
“Demand for activated carbon worldwide grows with the increase in industrial activities and the stringent environmental regulations and concerns in protecting the environment. Coconut shell activated carbon is very much in demand in foreign markets,” it said.
Category: Environment
