Term: activated carbon
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.A00090

Definition:
A porous carbon material, a char which has been subjected to reaction with gases, sometimes with the addition of chemicals, e.g. ZnCl2, before, during or after carbonization in order to increase its adsorptive properties.

Note: Activated carbons have a large @A00156@, preferably for small molecules, and are used for purification of liquids and gases. By controlling the process of @C00840@ and @A00093@, a variety of active carbons having different @P04762@ can be obtained. Activated carbons are used mainly in granular and powdered forms, but can also be produced in textile form by controlled @C00840@ and @A00093@ of textile fibres. Other terms used in the literature: active carbons, active charcoals.

Related Terms:
1) adsorption capacity (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.A00156).
2) carbonization (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C00840).
3) activation (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.A00093).
4) porosity (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04762).
5) carbon material (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C00841).
6) char (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C00974).
7) adsorptive (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.A00166).

Source: PAC, 1995, 67, 473. 'Recommended terminology for the description of carbon as a solid (IUPAC Recommendations 1995)' on page 476 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199567030473)

Citation: 'activated carbon' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.A00090

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