Activated carbon replacement and regeneration

Judgment of activated carbon saturation

The adsorption effect of activated carbon can be judged by detecting the concentration of pollutants in the gas or liquid after adsorption. When the concentration of pollutants after adsorption significantly increases, approaching or exceeding the emission standards, it indicates that the adsorption capacity of activated carbon is close to saturation and needs to be replaced.

Estimate the service life of activated carbon based on the operating time and processing capacity of the equipment. Generally speaking, under normal operating conditions, the service life of activated carbon is 6 to 12 months, but the specific lifespan still needs to be determined based on factors such as the types and concentrations of pollutants actually being treated.

Open the equipment and observe the appearance of the activated carbon. If you find that the color of the activated carbon has significantly darkened, there is a large amount of dirt adhering to the surface, or there are phenomena such as lumps and powdering, you should also consider replacing the activated carbon.

Activated carbon replacement operation

Shutdown and ventilation: Turn off the equipment, ensure there is no residual gas in the pipeline, and carry out ventilation treatment to reduce the concentration of harmful gases inside the equipment.

Personnel protection: During the replacement process, protective clothing, masks and protective gloves must be worn to avoid contact with harmful substances.

Cleaning of old activated carbon: Completely empty all the old activated carbon inside the equipment to prevent the mixture of new and old activated carbon from affecting the adsorption effect. Thoroughly clean the interior of the equipment, especially the dust-accumulated areas on the walls and bottom of the adsorption tower.

New activated carbon filling: Fill the new activated carbon layer by layer evenly in accordance with the equipment design requirements, ensuring that the filling is dense but not compacted to avoid affecting the airflow passability. Check whether the model and specification of the activated carbon conform to the design parameters to avoid a decrease in adsorption efficiency due to material mismatch.

Testing and adjustment: After the replacement is completed, start the equipment, monitor the system pressure difference and the concentration of the exhaust gas outlet, and ensure the stable operation of the equipment and achieve the expected results.

Activated carbon regeneration

For some waste activated carbon that can still be reused, its service life can be effectively prolonged through regeneration processes. Common regeneration methods include thermal regeneration and chemical regeneration.

Thermal regeneration involves heating waste activated carbon to a certain temperature to release the organic substances it has adsorbed. Chemical regeneration, on the other hand, involves the desorption of adsorbed substances from the surface of activated carbon through chemical solvents or reactions.