ABSTRACT
Active carbons in the form of carbonized wood charcoal have been used for many centuries. The Egyptians used this charcoal about 1500
as an adsorbent for medicinal purposes and also as a purifying agent. The ancient Hindus in India purified their drinking water by filtration through charcoal. The first industrial production of active carbon started about 1900 for use in sugar refining industries. This active carbon was prepared by the carbonization of a mixture of materials of vegetable origin in the presence of metal chlorides or by activation of the charred material by CO
or steam. Better quality gas-adsorbent carbons received attention during World War I, when they were used in gas masks for protection against hazardous gases and vapors.
