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CARBON
How is it used?
How does it work?
How is it applied in
HVAC applications?
ACTIVATED CARBON
This presentation was originally written in 1992. It has been
revised in 2005 to reflect the new er carbon filter products tha t
are now available and being utilized throughout the HVAC
industry.
Introduction
Improved Indoor Air Quality continues to be one of the MAJOR
issues facing the HVAC industry.
The Air Movement Industry has been very effective in the areas
of human comfort and the removal of particulates. However, to
totally clean the air, the gases and vapors the chemical pollu- In contrast, ADSORPTION is the physical attraction and
tion that affects health and productivity must also be remo ved. adherence of gas or liquid molecules to the surface of a solid.
The attractive force is very small, van der Waals forces, and
For HVAC applications, adsorption is the most ef fective and exists between any two bodies, such as between the ear th and
the most economical process. Activated carbon, known as the the moon. Gas molecules are ADSORBED by activated carbon.
universal adsorbent, is the most ef fective adsorbent.
Why Is It Known As The Universal Adsorbent? Why Is
A variety of products utilizing activated carbon are readily avail- Activated Carbon Used As The Adsorbent With HVAC
able. Some have been in use f or decades, others for l0 years or Processes?
less. When applied properly, the vast majority have proven to be
effective in eliminating the chemical pollution found in HVAC Activated carbon is tr uly a unique material. There are no other
systems. materials, natural or man-made, that will do all tha t it will do.
Activated Carbon For those who would like a more technical version: The
adsorbate diffuses thru the surface film to the macropore
There are many types and grades of carbon that can be used structure. Then, due to van der W alls forces, the gas
for adsorption. There are carbons used f or liquid and gas molecule migrates into the micropore str ucture, condensing
phase applications; they are not interchangeable. For the during this movement, and finally stopping when either the
purpose of this presentation, only gas phase carbons that are forces become balanced or it becomes ph ysically blocked.
used for general HVAC applications will be addressed.
This molecule, which was an objectionable gas, will remain a
The commercial quality HVAC carbons that are being manu- liquid inside the carbon until it recei ves enough energy, in the
factured today are produced from either coal or coconut shells . form of heat, to excite it.
These materials are interchangeable, as long as the acti vity
level and the average particle size are the same. If this condition arises, the molecule will begin mo ving toward
the surface. If enough energy (heat) is absorbed, it will be
Activated Carbon Specifications For HVAC Applications vaporized, returned to a gas and be released bac k into the air
The HVAC industry currently uses 60% activity** carbons in a stream, i.e. the process will be re versed.
variety of mesh sizes depending upon the manufacturing In HVAC applications, there is nor mally not enough heat to
process and the application. In the newer products, where excite, or re-energize, adsorbed molecules. With regular
fibers and granular carbons are blended, 20/50 mesh carbons carbon filter or bulk carbon changeouts, sufficient capacity
are applied. Where polyesters are impregnated by a slurry will always be available.
process, fine carbon powders are used. For the older filled
trays, used in V- It is interesting to note, the adsorbed gases that condense and
banks, either 6/8 become liquid molecules will line the inter nal surface area
mesh (3mm) [pel- and this lining will be one (and only one) molecule thic k.
letized] or 6/12 mesh
[granular] are uti- How Is It Applied In HVAC Applications?
lized. I believe there As a reminder, this presentation deals only with the remo val of
are definite advan- gaseous and vapor contaminants.
tages of pelletized
over granular materi- The application of carbon to HVAC installations is considerably
als, but either of different when compared to how carbon is a pplied to solvent
these materials will recovery systems and other industrial remo val applications.
do a satisfactory job. For the latter, air streams with hundred to thousands of parts
per million (ppm) of gas molecules are recovered, or removed,
**This activity level with beds that can be several feet thick and contain thousands
OdorGuard Pleated
Filters and CarbonWeb will insure that the of pounds of carbon.
Roll Media internal surface
area is in the r ange For HVAC applications, thin bed filters with comparatively
of 1000 1100 small amounts of carbon are utilized. Therefore, it is not only
CarbonWeb Media with
Activated carbon and
square important that these differences be recognized, but that the
impregnated alumina. meters/gram. parameters be defined.
First, air in a str ucture can be treated as it: This has proven to be enough carbon. A remaining
question is Would somewhat less carbon be as ef fective;
1. Enter s. and if so, how
2. Lea ves. much less? The
3. Is re-circulated. older V-banks
4. Or a combination of the above. were designed
For the majority of HVAC applications, the air to be trea ted to be changed out
is a combination of air entering (make-up) and air that is in approximately
re-circulating. The gaseous contaminant loading that one [1] year. This
should be removed: time would be
adjusted, based
1. Is always a combination of many odors and on the specifics of
pollutants chemicals. the application.
2. Is normally unknown either as to the c hemical Obviously, utiliz-
make-up, the amount of each pollutant, or the ing less carbon
total loading. per filter, but
3. Varies constantly with changes in occupancy changing more
levels, activity within or without the str ucture, and frequently, would
shifts in the wind. produce similar Ring Panel Filters with self-sealing edges and an
internal wire ring for added support.
4. Is in the 1 ppm r ange. results.
Loading Variations For the newer clean room type applications, which may
call for the removal contaminants in the ppb or less r ange,
In four above, the 1 ppm r ange has been used. When filters with significantly less carbon are being used
the loading drops below 1 ppm, down to the ppb [par ts successfully.
per billion] or to the .1 ppb r ange and below, there is no
concern. When the loading increases , which it can do f or Commercial vs. Industrial Application
short periods, there are concer ns and questions.
The carbon adsorption products that have been designed
Knowing that the industry has utilized, and continues to and utilized for HVAC applications are very effective.
utilize, thin bed carbon filter s, the following situations must When they are misapplied in industrial applications,
be considered: problems can and do arise.
How high are these higher loadings (peaks), and how long Normally, it is not tha t the carbon does not adsorb, but
do they last? rather the concentration exceeds the capability of thin bed
products, and neither the pass ef ficiency nor the life
Answer: Unless the structure has been studied (capacity) are satisfactory.
over a period of time, there is no definite
answer. Ten to 20 ppm would be a heavy Industrial applications, although they will contain many of
overload and may be within reason f or this the same chemicals found in HVAC applications, can be
application. This condition may last for defined as having:
minutes to hours as opposed to days.
1. Primarily one contaminant (chemical).
During the peaks, how effective is the filtration system? 2. A chemical that is known, both as to it s
formulation and quantity (ppm).
Answer: The percentage of these peaks, which 3. Either a constant quantity or a constant r ange.
exceeds the design capability of the filter or 4. A loading well above the 1 ppm r ange.
the capacity of the carbon at that time, will
pass thru and into the inside air. Since the Very simply, this will be, by comparison, a heavy-duty
air is being re-circulated, these peaks will be application, and the information concerning the contamina-
adsorbed on future passes. tion will be known.
As stated earlier, carbon must be c hanged on a regular One example that will crystallize the differences between
basis. This regularity, which should be established during these applications:
the first year of operation by utilizing test samples, will
insure that these peaks, typical to that installation, will be A printing company with a large printing press may have a
quickly adsorbed. solvent recovery system to recover the solvents from the
inks. This system will remove the high concentrations
How Much Carbon Should Be Used? of solvent with large amounts of carbon. However, the
solvent leakage that escapes into the general air and into
The old ASHRAE specification of 45 pounds per 1000 cfm the air handling system will be heavily diluted and be just
per year has been used f or many years as the design one of the many other chemicals in the HVAC system.
guideline. In all proba bility, the vast majority, if not all, of This air, that re-circulates thru the offices, lunchrooms,
the older carbon V-banks that are being utilized in airports, laboratories, etc., would now be treated as an HVAC
sports stadiums, and commercial buildings were designed application, with thin bed products.
with these numbers. When this amount of carbon is
changed regularly, these filters perform effectively. Adsorption may not be the most ef fective process for
industrial applications. Companies skilled in these fields
Is this the optimum amount of carbon? From experience should be consulted to make the determination regarding
with many installations, the answer would certainly be the most effective process and system.
Non-Vented Areas partially or completely filled with carbon. The
carbon is contained within the hone ycomb
Activated carbon will adsorb without the air being dr awn structure by a thin netting and a metal fr ame
thru it, i.e. without a fan or blow er. This is of importance which surrounds the structure.
when there are rooms or c losed areas that do not have
ventilation ducts, electricity and/or where the use of a As filters, they are available in , 1 and 2
portable air cleaner would not be practical. Carbon pads thickness. When used in V- banks, the and
can be placed in these areas and be a v ery effective 1 trays account for almost all HVAC
solution. applications. The 2 thic kness is used only in
special applications.
How Does Carbon Work in Non-Vented Areas?
Both filters contain packed granular carbon.
Gas molecules will disperse (mix) themselves evenly Loadings vary from approx. 2.1 lbs/sq. foot of
throughout a given area, in accord with the P erfect Gas filter face area for a 1 filled filter, to slightly under
Laws. Activated carbon will attract and adsorb the odor 1 lb/sq. foot for a honeycomb filter.
or pollutant molecules to whic h it is closest, causing an
unequal mixture to result. Whereupon the g ases will 2. Extended surface
redistribute themselves, the carbon will a gain adsorb the filters [Rigid Cells]:
closest, and the process will continue until the air is Deep Pleat, rigid cell
cleaned or the carbon reac hes its capacity. extended surface
filters, are the newer
A relatively small amount of carbon can, and will, keep products. They are
these types of areas odor and pollutant free. applied in many normal
An example of utilizing a small amount of carbon is to HVAC applications,
maintain a refrigerator odor free. By adsorbing g ases, it previously reserved for
thereby eliminates the transfer of odors and tastes from the older V-banks. They
one food to another, and to ice cubes . are also used in c lean
room and microelectronic
Activated Carbon Adsorption Products applications where contaminants are in the ppb or
ppt [parts per trillion] range.
For HVAC applications, adsorption products can be divided
into several categories: These Rigid Cells utilize several different types of
thin bed activated carbon media, that are formed
Panel filters, extended surface filters and V-banks. into pleats that are 4, 6, or 12 deep , the later
1. Panel Filters: Panels filters are available in a variety being by far the most popular. The deep plea ts are
of designs and configurations. They are available in then sealed into a metal fr ame [rigid cell]. They can
a variety of thickness, 1, 2 and 4, with 2 being be used individually, but are normally used in a filter
the predominant commercial product. bank.
Panel filters can in tur n be divided into two groups: Activated carbon loadings for a 24 x 24 x 12 cell,
vary from as high as a pprox. 7 lbs, to as low as
A. The newer products: Carbon filter products slightly over 1 lb, depending upon the carbon filter
that are designed to have a low pressure drop media that is utilized.
and are normally interchangeable with par ticulate
filters. 3. V-Banks, the older products, are still in use. They are
used in airports, stadiums and commercial b uildings
Filters using either pads or plea ts, contain either and in many clean room applications.
granular or powdered carbon. Carbon is either
integrated with fibers during manufacturing or These products will of fer from approx. 30 to 45
impregnated via a slur ry process into an existing pounds of carbon per 1000 cfm of air, and are
non-woven product. available for flow rates of 500, 1000 or 2000 cfm.
For 2 filters, in either pad or plea t form, carbon Virtually all units will have a face area of either
loadings will vary from approx. 300 grams per 24 x 24 or 12 x 24; utiliz e removable trays,
square foot of filter face area, down to a bout 35 V sections, or have a serpentine bed configuration;
grams per square foot. can be applied individually, or be built into filter
banks.
Products include, three stage filters, pads, pads
in die cuts, pleats and ring panels. Product Application
B. The older products: Filled or honeycomb filters The application of these products can be divided into two
have relatively high pressure drops and theref ore areas either new constr uction or retrofitting existing
can not be interchanged with par ticulate filters. installations. When a new str ucture is being designed,
They are utilized in V-banks. the engineer has the option of utilizing any of the above
products. When adsorption applications arise in existing
Filled filters have perforated metal faces, held in installations, panel filters, although they will need to be
place with welded metal spacers, surrounded changed more frequently to of fer similar capacities, offer
with a metal frame and filled with carbon. the advantage of interchangeability, thereby eliminating the
Honeycomb filters utilize a honeycomb shaped need to alter the existing air handling system.
material as the inter nal structure, which is either
HVAC Applications For Activated Carbon Conclusions
As stated earlier, activated carbon, the universal adsorbent, will The removal of chemical contaminants, which affect the health
adsorb some of almost any vapor. Detailed lists of gases and productivity of many Americans at work and at play, must
and vapors chemical compounds are available from carbon and will continue to be addressed b y the Air Movement
and equipment manufacturers. The following is a par tial list of Industry.
gases that are of concern in the air purifica tion systems and
can be removed with carbon: Due to the comparatively low contamination levels found in
HVAC applications, adsorption has, and will continue to be , the
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS: Acids, Alcohols, Aldehydes. most economical process.
CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS: Esters, Ethers, Ketones, Activated carbon, the universal adsorbent, has a ca pacity for
Mercaptans, Amines. virtually all vapor contaminants and will adsorb and retain a
INORGANIC COMPOUNDS: Halogen Acids, Halogens, wide variety of chemicals at the same time.
Sulphuric Acid, Sulphur Dioxide, Phosgene.
Adsorption products utilizing activated carbon are available
MISCELLANEOUS ODORS FROM: Humans, Animals, Foods, from a variety of sources. These products, when properly
Cooking, and Waste Processes. applied and maintained, can elimina te the vast majority of
Where Are The HVAC Applications? pollution problems caused by the gases and vapors the
chemical pollution found in HVAC systems.
Odor and gaseous pollution occurs in:
Acknowledgments
A special thanks to Joe C. Enneking, Vice-President, Nuclear Consulting Services (NUCON), Columbus, Ohio. A friend and
colleague for many years, Mr. Enneking is tr uly an expert in the field of activated carbon, solvent recovery, and nuclear air cleaning.