Activated Carbon: Quality Standards And Test Methods.

How do you test and compare ash content, the density or the pH of activated carbon? There are many test methods available for various types of tests, a good option to compare apples with apples is the use of international standards from for example ASTM (American Standard Test Method), EN (European Norm) and ISO (International Standardization Organisation).

Below is a selection of test methods that we have found;

• ASTM D2866 - 11(2018) en - Standard Test Method for Total Ash Content of Activated Carbon
• ASTM D3466 - 06(2018) en - Standard Test Method for Ignition Temperature of Granular Activated Carbon
• NEN-EN-ISO 176:2005 en - Plastics - Determination of loss of plasticizers - Activated carbon method
• NEN-EN 15799:2010 en - Products used for treatment of swimming pool water - Powdered activated carbon
• NEN-EN 12915-1:2009 en - Products used for the treatment of water intended for human consumption - Granular activated carbon - Part 1: Virgin granular activated carbon
• NEN-EN 12915-2:2009 en - Products used for the treatment of water intended for human consumption - Granular activated carbon - Part 2: Reactivated granular activated carbon
• ASTM D5158 - 98(2019) en - Standard Test Method for Determination of Particle Size of Powdered Activated Carbon by Air-Jet Sieving
• NEN-EN 12903:2009 en - Products used for the treatment of water intended for human consumption - Powdered activated carbon
• ISO 21340:2017 en - Test methods for fibrous activated carbon
• ASTM D2652 - 11 en - Standard Terminology Relating to Activated Carbon
• ASTM D2867 - 17 en - Standard Test Methods for Moisture in Activated Carbon
• ASTM D2866 - 11 en - Standard Test Method for Total Ash Content of Activated Carbon
• ASTM D5742 - 16 en - Standard Test Method for Determination of Butane Activity of Activated Carbon
• ASTM D3802 - 16 en - Standard Test Method for Ball-Pan Hardness of Activated Carbon
• ASTM D3803 - 91(2014) en - Standard Test Method for Nuclear-Grade Activated Carbon
• ASTM D2854 - 09(2019) en - Standard Test Method for Apparent Density of Activated Carbon
• ASTM D3467 - 04(2014) en - Standard Test Method for Carbon Tetrachloride Activity of Activated Carbon
• ASTM D5159 - 04(2014) en - Standard Guide for Dusting Attrition of Granular Activated Carbon
• ASTM D5160 - 95(2019) en - Standard Guide for Gas-Phase Adsorption Testing of Activated Carbon
• ASTM D5832 - 98(2014) en - Standard Test Method for Volatile Matter Content of Activated Carbon Samples
• ASTM D3838 - 05(2017) en - Standard Test Method for pH of Activated Carbon
• ASTM D5029 - 98(2014) en - Standard Test Method for Water Solubles in Activated Carbon
• ASTM D2862 - 16 en - Standard Test Method for Particle Size Distribution of Granular Activated Carbon
• ASTM D5228 - 16 en - Standard Test Method for Determination of Butane Working Capacity of Activated Carbon
• ASTM D3466 - 06(2011) en - Standard Test Method for Ignition Temperature of Granular Activated Carbon
• ASTM D4607 - 14 en - Standard Test Method for Determination of Iodine Number of Activated Carbon
• ASTM D4069 - 95(2014) en - Standard Specification for Impregnated Activated Carbon Used to Remove Gaseous Radio-Iodines from Gas Streams
• ASTM D6385 - 99(2017) en - Standard Test Method for Determining Acid-Extractable Content in Activated Carbon by Ashing
• ASTM D6646 - 03(2014) en - Standard Test Method for Determination of the Accelerated Hydrogen Sulfide Breakthrough Capacity of Granular and Pelletized Activated Carbon
• ASTM D6851 - 02(2011) en - Standard Test Method for Determination of Contact pH with Activated Carbon
• ASTM E1568 - 13 en - Standard Test Method for Determination of Gold in Activated Carbon by Fire Assay Gravimetry
• ASTM D1203 - 16 en - Standard Test Methods for Volatile Loss from Plastics Using Activated Carbon Methods
• ASTM D3860 - 98(2014) en - Standard Practice for Determination of Adsorptive Capacity of Activated Carbon by Aqueous Phase Isotherm Technique
• ASTM D8176 - 18 en - Standard Test Method for Mechanically Tapped Density of Activated Carbon (Powdered and Fine Mesh)
• ASTM D5919 - 96(2017) en - Standard Practice for Determination of Adsorptive Capacity of Activated Carbon by a Micro-Isotherm Technique for Adsorbates at ppb Concentrations
• ASTM D6781 - 02(2014) en - Standard Guide for Carbon Reactivation
• ASTM D6586 - 03(2014) en - Standard Practice for the Prediction of Contaminant Adsorption on GAC In Aqueous Systems Using Rapid Small-Scale Column Tests