Activated carbon (granular, coconut-shell) AC

spore: profile
id: activated-carbon
spore_version: 0.2
family: carbon-materials
name: Activated carbon (granular, coconut-shell)
abbreviation: AC
role: porous adsorbent for water, gas and air purification
category: carbon
type: Graphite
summary: |
  Activated carbon is a porous form of carbon that adsorbs contaminants from water, gases and air. The coconut-shell granular grade listed by Ecologix has a surface area of 850 to 1350 m2/g and an iodine number of 800 to 1300 mg/g. NASA reports show a charcoal bed of another commercial grade in the ISS trace contaminant control system since February 2001, but no flight record for this coconut-shell grade was found.
best_for: Removing contaminants from water and gas streams where a large internal pore surface matters most
weakest_at: No flight record for this coconut-shell grade (NASA has flown a different charcoal grade) and no ageing or regeneration data in the sources read
identity:
  formula: C
  cas: 7440-44-0
  source: pubchem-carbon
  where: PubChem Carbon record (CID 5462310) lists primary CAS 7440-44-0. That number belongs to the element carbon, not to activated carbon specifically.
tags:
  applications:
    - habitats-and-suits
  environments:
    - low-earth-orbit
properties:
  - benchmark: surface_area
    label: Specific surface area, coconut-shell granular grade
    value: 850
    value_high: 1350
    bound: range
    unit: m2/g
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Coconut-shell granular carbon, regular and water-washed tables
      form: granular
      basis: range of printed values across the listed mesh sizes
    method: Range printed in the manufacturer's specification tables; test method not stated on the page
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-coconut
    where: Specification tables, Surface area row (regular and water-washed grades)
  - benchmark: iodine_number
    label: Iodine number, coconut-shell granular grade
    value: 800
    value_high: 1300
    bound: range
    unit: mg/g
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Coconut-shell granular carbon
      basis: listed options for the minimum iodine number, 800 to 1300 in steps
    method: Range of minimum iodine numbers printed in the manufacturer's specification tables
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-coconut
    where: Specification tables, Iodine number row (regular and water-washed grades)
  - benchmark: apparent_density
    label: Apparent density, coconut-shell granular grade
    value: 0.4
    value_high: 0.54
    bound: range
    unit: g/cc
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Coconut-shell granular carbon, regular and water-washed tables
      form: granular
    method: Range printed in the manufacturer's specification tables as apparent density (not solid crystal density)
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-coconut
    where: Specification tables, Apparent density row (regular and water-washed grades)
  - benchmark: moisture_content
    label: Moisture, regular coconut-shell grade
    value: 5
    bound: upper
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Regular granular coconut-shell carbon
      basis: maximum printed value
    method: Maximum printed in the regular grade specification table
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-coconut
    where: Regular granular coconut-shell carbon table, Moisture row
  - benchmark: moisture_content
    label: Moisture, water-washed coconut-shell grade
    value: 2
    bound: upper
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Water-washed granular coconut-shell carbon
      basis: maximum printed value
    method: Maximum printed in the water-washed grade specification table
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-coconut
    where: Water-washed granular coconut-shell carbon table, Moisture row
  - benchmark: ash_content
    label: Ash, regular coconut-shell grade
    value: 5
    bound: upper
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Regular granular coconut-shell carbon
      basis: maximum printed value
    method: Maximum printed in the regular grade specification table
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-coconut
    where: Regular granular coconut-shell carbon table, Ash row
  - benchmark: ash_content
    label: Ash, water-washed coconut-shell grade
    value: 3
    bound: upper
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Water-washed granular coconut-shell carbon
      basis: maximum printed value
    method: Maximum printed in the water-washed grade specification table
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-coconut
    where: Water-washed granular coconut-shell carbon table, Ash row
  - benchmark: hardness
    label: Hardness, coconut-shell granular grade
    value: 95
    value_high: 99
    bound: range
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Coconut-shell granular carbon, regular and water-washed tables
      basis: listed options for the minimum hardness, 95 to 99
    method: Range of minimum hardness values printed in the manufacturer's specification tables; test standard not named on the page
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-coconut
    where: Specification tables, Hardness row (regular and water-washed grades)
  - benchmark: apparent_density
    label: Apparent density, coconut column of the at-a-glance table
    value: 0.48
    unit: g/cc
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Coconut-shell activated carbon (at-a-glance table column)
      basis: single printed value
    method: Value printed in the manufacturer's at-a-glance table, Coconut column
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-root
    where: Activated carbon properties at a glance table, Coconut column, Apparent Density row
  - benchmark: ash_content
    label: Ash, coconut column of the at-a-glance table
    value: 5
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Coconut-shell activated carbon (at-a-glance table column)
      basis: single printed value
    method: Value printed in the manufacturer's at-a-glance table, Coconut column
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-root
    where: Activated carbon properties at a glance table, Coconut column, Ash row
  - benchmark: carbon_tetrachloride_activity
    label: Carbon tetrachloride (CTC) activity minimum, coconut-shell granular grade
    value: 50
    value_high: 80
    bound: range
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Coconut-shell granular carbon, regular and water-washed tables
      basis: listed options for the minimum CCl4/CTC value, 50 to 80
    method: Range of minimum CCl4/CTC values printed in the manufacturer's specification tables; test standard not named on the page
    status: ground
    source: ecologix-coconut
    where: Specification tables, CCL4/CTC (%) minimum row (regular and water-washed grades)
  - benchmark: surface_area
    label: Specific surface area, KOH-activated coconut-shell carbon (laboratory preparation, carbonized at 700 °C)
    value: 426.692
    unit: m2/g
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Coconut-shell carbon chemically activated with 3 M KOH; a laboratory preparation, not the Ecologix grade
      carbonization_temperature_c: 700
      basis: highest value across the carbonization temperatures printed in the abstract
    method: Value printed in the abstract; the abstract states the BET method was used to analyze surface area and pore volume
    status: ground
    source: its-koh-2026
    where: Abstract, sentence beginning "The highest surface area and pore volume were obtained at 700"
  - benchmark: pore_volume
    label: Total pore volume, KOH-activated coconut-shell carbon (laboratory preparation, carbonized at 700 °C)
    value: 2.414
    unit: cc/g
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: Coconut-shell carbon chemically activated with 3 M KOH; a laboratory preparation, not the Ecologix grade
      carbonization_temperature_c: 700
      basis: highest value across the carbonization temperatures printed in the abstract
    method: Value printed in the abstract; the abstract states the BET method was used to analyze surface area and pore volume
    status: ground
    source: its-koh-2026
    where: Abstract, same sentence as the surface area value
corrosion:
  - environment: Repeated exhaustion and chemical or thermal regeneration of the spent carbon
    headline: No ageing or capacity-loss value was found in the sources read.
    effect: Wikipedia's reference list names papers on regenerating spent granular activated carbon, including repeated exhaustion and chemical regeneration. Their text was not readable in this run, so no loss of capacity per cycle is recorded here.
    rating: unknown
    conditions:
      basis: reference titles only; referenced papers not read
      exposure: regeneration cycles, not measured for this grade
    source: wikipedia-ac
    where: Reference list, regeneration titles
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: PubChem's Carbon record (the element, CID 5462310) shows a GHS07 irritant pictogram under Primary Hazards. No hazard statement was visible in the part of the record read. This describes the element, not this grade of activated carbon.
      ghs:
        - GHS07
      source: pubchem-carbon
      where: Primary Hazards, GHS pictogram (CID 5462310)
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Slow rise in flow resistance in the ISS trace contaminant control system
      trigger: Five years of on-orbit operation of the TCCS
      consequence: Telemetry showed a slow increase in TCCS system flow resistance over five years. Testing traced it to one or more beds in the catalytic oxidizer flow branch, and two packed beds (the high temperature catalytic oxidizer and the post-sorbent bed) were replaced.
      severity: moderate
      source: nasa-tccs-2007
      where: Abstract
  side_effects: []
  handling: []
  mitigations: []
uses:
  - application: habitats-and-suits
    device: Potable water purification filter
    example: Ecologix says coconut-shell carbons are very popular in the gas phase purification and potable water purification industries. These are terrestrial industry uses, not a space flight record.
    source: ecologix-coconut
    where: Coconut Based Activated Carbon, product overview
  - application: habitats-and-suits
    device: Compressed air and gas purification filter
    example: Wikipedia says filters with activated carbon are usually used in compressed air and gas purification to remove oil vapors.
    source: wikipedia-ac
    where: Gas purification section
  - application: habitats-and-suits
    device: ISS Trace Contaminant Control System charcoal bed
    example: NASA reports that the Trace Contaminant Control System has three packed beds, starting with an activated charcoal bed, and that it has operated in the ISS since February 2001. The charcoal bed removes most high molecular weight components, ammonia and volatile organic compounds.
    source: nasa-tccs-2007
    where: Abstract (operating since February 2001) and Introduction (three packed beds; Charcoal Bed Assembly paragraph)
supply:
  - subject: Feedstock for activated carbon
    abundance: Wikipedia lists bamboo, coconut husk, willow peat, wood, coir, lignite, coal and petroleum pitch as source materials. It names one Sri Lankan coconut shell-based company as controlling 16% of the global market share, with no year printed.
    producers: []
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: Not found in the sources read.
    substitutes: []
    source: wikipedia-ac
    where: Production section, source materials list; market share sentence in the same section
documents:
  - title: Coconut-shell granular activated carbon specification tables (Ecologix Systems)
    type: datasheet
    url: https://ecologixsystems.com/activated-carbon/coconut
  - title: 'PubChem compound record: Carbon (CID 5462310), GHS classification'
    type: database
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/5462310/JSON
  - title: Characteristics of Post-Sorbent and High Temperature Catalytic Oxidizer Beds After Long-Term On-Orbit Use (NASA, ICES 2007)
    type: report
    url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20070019823/downloads/20070019823.pdf
  - title: Polanyi Evaluation of Adsorptive Capacities of Commercial Activated Carbons (NASA, ICES 2017)
    type: report
    url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20170006640/downloads/20170006640.pdf
  - title: Effect of Carbonization Temperature on Pore Formation and Adsorption Ability of Coconut Shell Activated Carbon with KOH Activator
    type: paper
    url: https://journal.its.ac.id/index.php/jfa/article/view/10580
gaps:
  - No flight record for the Ecologix coconut-shell grade was found. NASA reports (2007 and 2017) show an activated charcoal bed in the ISS Trace Contaminant Control System since February 2001, and the 2017 abstract names its carbon as acid-treated Barnebey-Sutcliffe Type 3032. That is a different grade, so no flight value is recorded for this one.
  - No vacuum, radiation or space-environment test of this grade was found in the sources read.
  - The 700 °C KOH-activated surface area (426.692 m2/g) and pore volume (2.414 cc/g) come from one laboratory paper on a chemically activated carbon. They are recorded as separate laboratory rows and are not the Ecologix grade's specification.
  - The Ecologix pH rows (9.5 to 11 regular, 8 to 9.5 water-washed) print no unit, so they are not recorded.
  - The mesh size row lists sieve options (4x8 to 20x50) rather than one numeric value, so it is not recorded as a property.
  - The benchmark names surface_area, iodine_number, ash_content, moisture_content, hardness, carbon_tetrachloride_activity and pore_volume are not in spores/property-canon.yaml, so snake_case names are used.
  - No space-grade hazard entry (SDS) for this coconut-shell grade was reached; the hazard entry still rests on the PubChem record for the element carbon.
  - The at-a-glance table lists an iodine number of 1100 for coconut, but the page prints no unit for it, so it is not recorded as a value.
  - Surface area, iodine number, hardness and mesh values are manufacturer-printed ranges for a product family, not measured values for one lot. The test method is not stated on the page for surface area or hardness.
  - Apparent density is recorded as printed in g/cc. It is not solid or crystal density, so it is not stored under the density benchmark.
  - 'Ageing, regeneration and corrosion: Wikipedia''s reference list names regeneration papers, but the papers were not readable (their publisher pages returned HTTP 403). No capacity-loss-per-cycle value is recorded.'
  - The Wikipedia figures for surface area (over 3,000 square metres per gram, BET area of 4,800 m2/g) and iodine number ranges (500 to 1200 mg/g) describe activated carbon in general, not this grade, so they are not recorded as properties.
  - Production temperatures (pyrolysis, physical and chemical activation) are process settings, not material properties, so they are not recorded.
  - Producer shares by country with a year were not found. The 16% Haycarb share on Wikipedia has no year printed, so it is not in producers.
  - Hazard data rest on the PubChem record for the element carbon (GHS07 pictogram, no hazard statement in the part read). No supplier safety data sheet for this activated carbon grade was reached, and no dust or inhalation data were found.
  - Iodine value on Wikipedia describes the number for fats, oils and waxes. It is cited only to show that the name has another meaning; no value from it is used.
  - Taxonomy type Graphite is the nearest carbon type in the site taxonomy. Activated carbon is amorphous and is not graphite.
  - No UNS, EN, trade or other grade designations were recorded because no source read prints a designation for this product.
  - Iodine number and surface area for water-treatment carbons on Wikipedia were not checked against a grade-level source.
sources:
  ecologix-coconut:
    title: Coconut-shell granular activated carbon specification tables (Ecologix Systems)
    id: Ecologix Systems product page, coconut-based activated carbon
    url: https://ecologixsystems.com/activated-carbon/coconut
    kind: datasheet
    license: supplier web page, linked not reproduced
  ecologix-root:
    title: Activated carbon properties at a glance (Ecologix Systems)
    id: Ecologix Systems activated carbon overview page
    url: https://ecologixsystems.com/activated-carbon
    kind: datasheet
    license: supplier web page, linked not reproduced
  wikipedia-ac:
    title: Activated carbon (Wikipedia)
    id: Wikipedia article, English
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_carbon
    kind: web
    license: CC BY-SA 4.0
  pubchem-carbon:
    title: 'PubChem compound record: Carbon (CID 5462310)'
    id: CID 5462310; CAS 7440-44-0 (synonym list)
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/5462310/JSON
    kind: database
    license: public domain (NCBI)
  wikipedia-iodine-value:
    title: Iodine value (Wikipedia)
    id: Wikipedia article, English
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodine_value
    kind: web
    license: CC BY-SA 4.0
  sentryair-filter:
    title: Sentry Air Systems activated carbon filter page
    id: SentryAir activated carbon filter overview
    url: http://www.sentryair.com/activated-carbon-filter.htm
    kind: web
    license: supplier web page, linked not reproduced
  nasa-tccs-2007:
    title: Characteristics of Post-Sorbent and High Temperature Catalytic Oxidizer Beds After Long-Term On-Orbit Use (NASA, ICES 2007)
    id: NASA NTRS 20070019823
    url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20070019823/downloads/20070019823.pdf
    kind: report
    license: NASA public technical report
  nasa-polanyi-2017:
    title: Polanyi Evaluation of Adsorptive Capacities of Commercial Activated Carbons (NASA, ICES 2017)
    id: NASA NTRS 20170006640; ICES-2017-291
    url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20170006640/downloads/20170006640.pdf
    kind: report
    license: NASA public technical report
  its-koh-2026:
    title: Effect of Carbonization Temperature on Pore Formation and Adsorption Ability of Coconut Shell Activated Carbon with KOH Activator
    id: Jurnal Fisika dan Aplikasinya 21(3); DOI 10.12962/j24604682.v21i3.10580
    url: https://journal.its.ac.id/index.php/jfa/article/view/10580
    kind: paper
    license: journal article page; licence not checked
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-11-02'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 13
  unreachable: 5
  caveats: 4
  note: Written by an AI assistant on 2026-11-01 from the Ecologix pages and Wikipedia. Deepened on 2026-11-02 with two NASA technical reports and one laboratory paper, each read in that run. A journal host (journals.utm.my) did not connect and was not used.
story:
  recipe:
    line: Activated carbon is amorphous carbon that has been processed to create small pores. Wikipedia says it is usually derived from waste products such as coconut husks, and this grade is a coconut-shell product. Its structure is not a crystal lattice.
    parts:
      - name: Carbon
        symbol: C
        role: The whole material. Wikipedia says the structure is related to that of the fullerenes, with pentagonal and heptagonal carbon rings, and gives no composition figure.
  risk_groups:
    - title: For people
      verdict: No hazard classification found for this grade
      lead: No safety data sheet for this activated carbon grade was reached. The PubChem record for the element carbon shows an irritant pictogram with no hazard statement in the part read.
      points:
        - label: Dust
          line: Carbon powders can give off fine dust. Check the supplier's safety data sheet for the powder before handling it.
        - label: Record basis
          line: The hazard entry describes the element, not this grade, so it is a weak basis for handling rules.
  why: Activated carbon is a porous form of carbon that adsorbs contaminants from water, gases and air. Wikipedia describes it as a form of carbon commonly used to filter contaminants from water and air. The coconut-shell granular grade listed by Ecologix has a surface area of 850 to 1350 m2/g and an iodine number of 800 to 1300 mg/g. The iodine number is the test that Wikipedia says measures the carbon's micropores. NASA reports show an activated charcoal bed of another grade in the ISS trace contaminant control system since February 2001, but no ISS record for this coconut-shell grade was found.
  uses:
    - where: Water purification
      line: Wikipedia says activated carbon is usually used in water filtration systems. Ecologix says its coconut-shell carbons are very popular in the gas phase purification and potable water purification industries.
    - where: Gas and air purification
      line: Wikipedia says filters with activated carbon are usually used in compressed air and gas purification to remove oil vapors. Sentry Air Systems says its activated carbon filters remove contaminants from air and gaseous streams.
    - where: Spacecraft use, different grade
      line: NASA says the ISS Trace Contaminant Control System has used an activated charcoal bed since February 2001 (NASA, 2007). NASA's 2017 report names the bed's carbon as acid-treated Barnebey-Sutcliffe Type 3032, which is not this coconut-shell grade, so that flight record does not transfer to the grade here.
  can_do:
    - label: Adsorb contaminants
      line: the coconut-shell grade has a printed surface area of 850 to 1350 m2/g (Ecologix).
    - label: Micropore capacity
      line: the printed iodine number runs from 800 to 1300 mg/g for the same grade family (Ecologix).
    - label: Density
      line: the printed apparent density is 0.4 to 0.54 g/cc (Ecologix), and the at-a-glance coconut column prints 0.48 g/cc.
    - label: Low ash
      line: the regular grade prints ash of at most 5 %, and the water-washed grade at most 3 % (Ecologix).
    - label: Carbon tetrachloride activity
      line: the printed CCl4/CTC minimum runs from 50 to 80 % for the same grade family (Ecologix).
    - label: Laboratory pore volume
      line: a laboratory KOH-activated coconut-shell carbon carbonized at 700 °C reached 2.414 cc/g, per the abstract of Jurnal Fisika dan Aplikasinya. That is a different preparation from the Ecologix grade.
  compare: Activated carbon is a porous adsorbent, not a structural or electrode material. Glassy carbon in this collection is dense and gas-tight, while this grade is built to adsorb contaminants through its internal pores. The comparison rows show the surface area, iodine number and ash values printed for this grade.
  compare_rows:
    - label: Surface area
      benchmark: surface_area
    - label: Iodine number
      benchmark: iodine_number
    - label: Ash content
      benchmark: ash_content
  handling:
    - Check the supplier's safety data sheet for the grade before handling powder; none was reached for this grade.
    - Keep the carbon dry and closed until use. The sources read do not give a storage limit.
  good_for:
    - Removing contaminants from water and gas streams, as Wikipedia and Ecologix both describe.
    - Adsorbing in a compact bed where a large internal surface is needed, per the printed surface area of 850 to 1350 m2/g.
  watch_out:
    - NASA has operated a different charcoal grade in the ISS trace contaminant system; that record does not transfer to this coconut-shell grade without a grade-level test.
    - Ageing and regeneration data for this grade were not found in the sources read.
    - The hazard entry describes the element carbon, not this grade.
  verdict: A porous adsorbent with manufacturer-printed surface, iodine and ash data. NASA has run a different charcoal grade in the ISS trace contaminant system since 2001, but this coconut-shell grade has no flight record and no ageing data in the sources read.