Definition

Noun: 1. A highly porous form of carbon processed to have a very large surface area, used for adsorbing impurities from liquids or gases: Activated carbon is a material known for its ability to trap molecules on its surface through a process called adsorption, making it effective for purification, filtration, and decontamination.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The water filter contains activated carbon to remove chlorine and improve taste.
  • In emergency medicine, activated carbon can be administered to absorb certain ingested toxins.
  • Industrial air purification systems often use activated carbon to capture volatile organic compounds.

Advanced Usage

• "To be treated with activated carbon": refers to a substance or medium being purified by passing it through activated carbon.
  • The contaminated solvent was treated with activated carbon to remove the impurities.
• "Activated carbon adsorption": a technical term for the process by which activated carbon captures and holds substances on its surface.
  • The efficiency of the system depends on the activated carbon adsorption capacity.

Variants and Related Words

• Activated charcoal: A common synonym for activated carbon, often used in medical or general contexts.
  • The emergency kit included a dose of activated charcoal.
• Carbon filter: A filter that uses activated carbon as its primary filtering medium.
  • We installed a carbon filter under the sink for drinking water.

Synonyms

• Active carbon: A direct synonym.
• Adsorbent carbon: Highlights its adsorptive function.

Related Phrases

• To adsorb onto activated carbon: Describes the action of a substance being captured by the carbon.
  • The chemical vapors readily adsorb onto activated carbon.
• Activated carbon canister: A container or filter housing filled with activated carbon.
  • The air purifier uses a replaceable activated carbon canister.

Noun

1. powdered or granular carbon used for purifying by adsorption; given orally (as a slurry) it is an antidote for some kinds of poisons