ABSTRACT
A cross-section of a portion of an activated carbon particle might look like a maze of interconnecting channels, quite large at the surface and terminating in small channels in the interior. Forces of attraction between the surface and adsorbed species usually fall into one of two categories loosely defined as "physical" and "chemical" adsorption. When one measures the surface area of activated carbon, one finds that the apparent surface is out of proportion to that of a metal of similar particle size. Activated carbons are manufactured from a wide range of carbonaceous materials having varying ash constituents. Molasses number is a measure of the degree of decolorization of a standard molasses solution that has been diluted and standardized against standardized activated carbon. Typical wastewater streams contain a range of organics in addition to the component or components to be removed, and many of these will be adsorbed on activated carbon.
