Golden GAC 800 is an activated carbon that has been specifically designed for use in water filtration applications. Activated carbon is a highly porous material that has an incredibly large surface area, allowing it to effectively adsorb contaminants through a process known as adsorption.
What is Activated Carbon?
Activated carbon, also known as activated charcoal, is a form of carbon that has been processed to make it extremely porous and thus to have a very large surface area available for adsorption. The high degree of microporosity in activated carbon makes it great for trapping and binding contaminants within its structure.
To create activated carbon, materials like coal, coconut shells, wood, or sawdust are first carbonized at very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. This process removes non-carbon elements and creates a carbon mass full of tiny pores. The carbonized material is then activated using steam, chemicals, or heat treatment. This activation process enlarges the existing pores and creates new pores, resulting in an end product that has an incredibly large surface area and extensive network of pores for contaminant adsorption.
How Does Activated Carbon Work for Water Filtration?
When used for water filtration, activated carbon works through a process called adsorption. Contaminants in the water are attracted to and bond with the carbon surface. The porous structure essentially traps and holds contaminants inside the millions of microscopic pores.
Activated carbon is highly effective at removing a wide range of contaminants from water through this adsorption process, including:
- Chlorine
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
- Industrial chemicals
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Bad tastes and odors
- Sediment
- And more
The porous structure and massive surface area of activated carbon provides ideal conditions for adsorbing and trapping these contaminants as water passes through. Activated carbon filtration is commonly used as one step in comprehensive water treatment systems for both municipal and residential applications.
Introducing Golden GAC 800 Granular Activated Carbon
Golden GAC 800 is a specific type of activated carbon made by the Desotec company that has been optimized for water filtration applications. It consists of granular activated carbon derived from select grades of bituminous coal.
Some key features of Golden GAC 800 include:
- A highly developed pore structure for superior adsorption capacity and kinetics
- Very low ash content
- Hardness and abrasion resistance
- High mechanical strength
- Low residual moisture content
These properties make Golden GAC 800 an excellent choice for a broad range of water filtration uses. The granular form also makes it well-suited for use in packed bed filtration systems.
Typical Applications and Uses
Golden GAC 800 can be used in a variety of water filtration applications including:
- Drinking Water Treatment – For removal of chlorine, VOCs, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and taste/odor compounds from municipal and well water supplies.
- Industrial Process Water – To remove impurities from water used for industrial processes like manufacturing, food production, pharmaceutical production, etc.
- Wastewater Treatment – As a polishing filter to remove residual contaminants from wastewater effluent before discharge or reuse.
- Food and Beverage Processing – For purification of water used in beverage manufacturing, brewing, and food production processes.
- Aquariums and Ponds – To filter water for aquarium use and maintain water quality in decorative ponds.
- Consumer Water Filtration – In pour-through, faucet mounted, undersink, whole house, or countertop water filters used at home.
Golden GAC 800 can remove a broad spectrum of contaminants, making it useful for all of these applications. It is an excellent general purpose activated carbon for municipalities and consumers seeking an effective filtration media for water treatment.
Technical Specifications
Golden GAC 800 has the following key technical specifications:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Form | Granular activated carbon |
| Raw Material | Bituminous coal |
| US Sieve Size | 8 x 30 mesh (2.4 to 0.6 mm) |
| Apparent Density | 0.45 to 0.55 g/cc |
| Moisture Content | 2 weight % max |
| Ash Content | 8 weight % max |
| Hardness Number | >= 95 |
| Iodine Number | 850 to 1,050 mg/g |
These specifications ensure granule size, porosity, purity, hardness, and adsorptive capacity that make Golden GAC 800 well suited for water filtration applications.
Reactivation and Reuse
One of the advantages of Golden GAC 800 and other activated carbons is that they can be reactivated and reused through a thermal process. As contaminants accumulate in the pores, the carbon eventually reaches saturation and needs to be replaced.
Rather than discarding the spent carbon, it can be sent to a reactivation facility. The carbon is heated to very high temperatures in a furnace without oxygen, which volatilizes and burns off the adsorbed organic contaminants. This process restores the porous structure and readies the activated carbon to be reused.
Golden GAC 800 can be repeatedly reactivated and reused for many cycles. This makes it an environmentally friendly and very cost effective filtration media in the long run compared to single use options.
Safety Considerations
Golden GAC 800 is considered non-hazardous and safe to handle as long as basic precautions are followed:
- Wear gloves and eye protection when handling
- Avoid creating and inhaling dust
- Wet down granules if needed to control airborne dust
- Rinse skin after contact to prevent drying
- Dispose of in accordance with local regulations
The granular form minimizes dust generation. But any activated carbon powder should be handled carefully to prevent inhalation. With reasonable precautions, Golden GAC 800 is safe to use in water filtration applications.
Sourcing Golden GAC 800
Golden GAC 800 can be purchased through major filtration equipment suppliers and carbon reactivation companies. It is available in bulk quantities or packaged in smaller bags or containers.
Some of the leading global suppliers of Golden GAC 800 include:
- Desotec
- Jacobi Carbons
- Haycarb
- Cabot Norit
- Calgon Carbon Corporation
Municipalities, water utilities, manufacturing facilities, food and beverage companies, aquarium/pond suppliers, and consumer water filtration companies can all source Golden GAC 800 from one of these activated carbon manufacturers or their authorized distributors and resellers.
Cost Considerations
The purchase price of activated carbon like Golden GAC 800 ranges from approximately $1 to $4 per pound. However, frequent replacement of the exhausted carbon adds substantially to long term operating costs. With proper reactivation and reuse, the lifecycle cost can be reduced significantly.
For municipal and industrial applications, the used carbon is typically trucked to a reactivation facility after each filtration cycle. The reactivated carbon is then returned for reuse, often providing savings of 40% or more compared to fresh carbon. This makes thermal reactivation very cost effective compared to single use options.
For consumer use, small spent carbon filters are usually discarded and replaced with new cartridges. However, with some consumer water filtration systems, replacement cartridges containing reactivated carbon are available. This provides more value for the consumer.
Conclusion
Golden GAC 800 is an excellent choice as an adsorbent activated carbon for removing a wide variety of contaminants from water through filtration. It can be used effectively in many municipal, residential, industrial, commercial, and consumer applications. With proper reactivation and reuse, Golden GAC 800 provides high performance water purification at an economical cost over the long term.