The simplest way to distinguish between activated charcoal and regular charcoal is by their intended use. Activated charcoal is specifically designed for medical and industrial applications due to its high surface area and adsorption properties. Regular c

Activated Carbon vs. Regular Carbon: What's the Difference?

Activated carbon and regular carbon have different structures and properties. Activated carbon has a larger surface area and is processed using activation methods to create small pores on the surface, which helps increase its ability to adsorb harmful substances and impurities in the air or water. In contrast, regular carbon is not processed in this way and does not have the same adsorption capacity for toxins as activated carbon.

Therefore, distinguishing between real and fake activated carbon is crucial to ensure effectiveness in their use.

How to Differentiate Activated Carbon and Regular Carbon

Differentiating by Hardness

In reality, it can be challenging to visually differentiate between activated carbon and regular carbon. However, through physical contact, you can determine the two types of carbon by testing their hardness.

The specific methods are as follows:

• Regular carbon has low hardness. Therefore, with a light force, you can easily break it.
• Activated carbon has relatively high hardness. Therefore, you need a stronger force to break its original shape.

Differentiating by Water Test

You can also differentiate activated carbon from regular carbon by using water. The application method is as follows:

• Prepare a glass of dirty water.
• Add carbon to the glass.
• Let it sit for a certain period.
• If you see bubbles in the water and the water becomes clearer, it is activated carbon.
• Otherwise, if there is no change in the water's properties, it may be regular carbon.

Testing Alkalinity

Activated carbon has the ability to increase the pH of water and make it more alkaline. Therefore, you can also differentiate activated carbon based on this characteristic.

Take a small amount of water, use litmus paper or a professional pH measuring device to test the pH of the water. Then, add activated carbon to the water and wait for some time. Recheck the water's pH.

If the water becomes more alkaline, it indicates activated carbon. Otherwise, if there is no change, it is regular carbon.

Using Burning Method

Burning carbon is also an effective and easy way to differentiate between activated carbon and regular carbon.

Basically, activated carbon is carbon that has been processed at high temperatures. Therefore, it is difficult to ignite and burn, especially under normal environmental conditions. In contrast, regular carbon is easy to ignite and burn.

• If you find it difficult to ignite and sustain a flame under normal conditions, it is activated carbon.
• If it is easy to ignite and burn, it is regular carbon.

Differentiating by Appearance for Powdered Carbon

This method is applied to differentiate powdered activated carbon. The application method is as follows:

• Powdered activated carbon: It is usually fine powder, extremely uniform and dry. When touched, it feels shiny and visually appealing.
• Regular powdered carbon: It has a characteristic dense black color, not shiny. The powder is coarse, uneven, and sometimes slightly damp.

Differentiating by Conductivity

Activated carbon has extremely high electrical conductivity. In contrast, regular carbon does not have this function. Therefore, you can also use this method to differentiate activated carbon.

The application method is as follows:

• Touch the conductivity tester's probe to the activated carbon.
• If the device works, it is activated carbon.
• If there is no response, it is regular carbon.

Differentiating by Chlorine Filtration Ability

Chlorine is a common disinfectant in water used extensively today. It is not only used to treat wastewater but also tap water in major cities. Although it provides high disinfection efficiency, it often leaves a relatively unpleasant odor for users.

Activated carbon has the ability to remove chlorine from water through odor absorption mechanisms. Therefore, you can also use this method to differentiate between the two.

• Prepare a glass of water containing chlorine.
• Add the carbon sample inside and wait for a while.
• If the chlorine smell disappears, it is activated carbon; otherwise, it is regular carbon.

Note: At low concentrations, chlorine in water can evaporate over time. Therefore, it is necessary to add this chemical to water at the appropriate concentration.

Differentiating Based on Air Filtration Ability

The application method is as follows:

• Prepare 3 glass bottles, 1 copper ball, 2 cork stoppers. Among them, 1 stopper has a gas conduit, 10ml concentrated nitric acid solution, and carbon samples.
• Generate NO₂ gas by placing the copper ball into one glass bottle and pouring concentrated nitric acid solution over it. This action will create a chemical reaction and produce brown-red NO₂ gas.
• Use the stopper with the gas conduit to seal the bottle. Connect the conduit to the other two glass bottles. Place a carbon sample in each bottle and observe.
• If the brown-red color disappears in any bottle, it is activated carbon. Otherwise, if there is no change, it is regular carbon.

Above are 8 effective and easy-to-apply methods to differentiate activated carbon shared by Toan A JSC experts. Hopefully, it has helped you understand more about these methods to choose the most suitable way to differentiate. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us for more detailed advice from our experts.