Are you an aquarium hobbyist, or own a water purification system? If not, chances are you have no idea what activated carbon is, or what it could possibly do in HEPA Air Purifiers. Even if the concept itself isn’t totally foreign, you probably still don’t know exactly what it does.

What Does Activated Carbon Do In A HEPA Air Purifier?

Choosing HEPA air purifiers is often the first time most people encounter activated carbon. They begin their search because of allergies or asthma, but they have no real idea how these machines work. As they look deeper, they’ll start to learn that odors and chemicals are what’s actually causing the vast majority of the issues they’re trying to remedy. Most quality HEPA air purifiers are designed to eliminate allergens as well as odors and chemicals in the air. This is where the activated carbon comes in.

How Was Activated Carbon Used Before HEPA Air Purifiers?

Believe it or not, humans were using activated carbon to purify water as many as two centuries ago. Even back then, we knew of activated carbon’s exceptional absorption qualities. It was not until the early 1900’s, though, that the stuff was produced in a form that could be sold commercially. Produced commercially, activated carbon was sold as powder. Back then, it was used only to remove smell or taste from water and to remove the color from sugar. As World War I got into full swing, we discovered that activated carbon could be used in gas masks to protect soldiers from chemical agents in the air. Not only that, but it was used for war time water and air purifying. At this point, instead of being used in powder for, it was used in a granular form. This was the beginning of activated carbon being used in many ways.

What The Word “Activated” Means

You’re probably wondering why we’re referring to this carbon as “activated.” Is there such a thing as non-activated carbon? Well, the heat used in “activating” the carbon is what drives out the impurities in the carbon itself. This leaves a place for the impurities in whatever it is the carbon is cleaning to reside. So activating carbon is kind of like emptying a sponge, only with head instead of pressure. After activated carbon becomes full, it can actually be reactivated by re-heating it. This is, however, not a good idea, and is considered dangerous and impractical. Non-activated carbon is basically charcoal or soot.

Different Types Of Activated Carbon

Basically, yes. Though there are different types of activated carbon, and it’s often described in various ways, all activated carbon is nothing more than amorphous carbon-based materials. These materials all have many holes, also known as a high degree of porosity, which cover a relatively large surface area. This is what gives the material such awesome absorbent quality, enabling it to work so extremely well in filtering both air and water.

Harry writes articles about his HEPA air purifier, and HEPA air purifiers in general.