# INFORMATION SHEET

73-001-IS Oct 2007 

# Adsorptive Capacity for Vapor Contaminants

In general, vapor contaminants can be categorized in terms of how well they are adsorbed by activated carbon. Adsorptive capacity is a function of the carbon’s affinity for a specific type of contaminant, such as ketones, aliphatics, aromatics, and sulfur compounds. Additionally, the ads orptive capacity and removal efficiency may be affected by:

• The concentration of the contaminant(s)

• Humidity of the air or gas stream

• Temperature of the v apor laden air stream

• Carbon bed contact time with vapor laden air • Superficial velocity through the carbon filter

• Particle size of activated carbon



### • Grade of activated carbon used

To assist in estimating the activated carbon’s ability to remove certain compounds, a reference chart and index of commonly encountered contaminants are presented below.

Category Rating Adsorptive Capacity, % wt. Average Adsorptive Capacity, %

1 High 20 to 50% 35

2 Good 10 to 20% 16

3 Moderate Less than 15% 8

4 Low Usually too low to be effective* *Impregnated carbon may be required if applicable In addition to the specific compounds mentioned below so me types of odors, which are hard to categorize, are also effectively removed with activated carbon. 

### Category 1

Acetic anhydride Acrylic acid Acrylonitrile Adhesives Allyl chloride Amyl acetate Amyl alcohol Amyl ether Aniline Antiseptics Asphalt fumes Benzene Bromine Butanone Butyl acetate Butyl alcohol Butyl cellosolve Butyl chloride Butyl ether Butyric acid Camphor Caprylic acid Carbolic acid Carbon disulfide Carbon tetrachloride Cellosolve acetate Chlorobenzene Chlorobutadiene Chloroform Chloronitropropane Chloropicrin Cigarette smoke Creosote Cresol Cyclohexane Cyclohexanol Cyclohexanone Cyclohexene Decane Dibromoethane Dichlorobenzene Dichlorodifluoromethane Dichloroethane Dichloroethylene Dichloroethyl ether Dichloronitroethane Dichloropropane Dichlorotetrafluoroethane Dicyclopentadiene Diesel fumes Diethyl ketone Dimethylaniline Dimethyl sulfate Dioxane Diproply ketone Epichlorhydrin Ethyl acetate Ethyl acrylate Ethyl benzene Ethyl bromide Ethylene chlorhydrin Ethylene dichloride Ethyl silicate Freon 11, 12, 114 Gasoline Heptane Heptylene Iodine Iodoform Isopropyl acetate Isopropyl alcohol Isopropyl chloride Isopropyl ether Kerosene Krypton delay Lactic acid Liquid fuel Lubricating oils and

greases Lysol Menthol Mercaptans (large chain) Mesityl oxide Methyl acrylate Methyl butyl ketone Methyl cellosolve Methyl chloroform Methyl cyclohexane Methyl cyclohexanol Methyl cyclohexanone Methylene chloride Methyl ethyl ketone Methyl glycol Methyl isobutyl ketone Methyl methacrylate

ester Monochlorobenzene Naphtha Naphthalene Nicotine Nitrobenzene Nitroethane Nitroglycerine Nitropropane Nitrotoluene Nonane Octane Octene Ozone Palmitic acid Para-dichlorobenzene Pentanone Perchloroethylene Phenol Propionic acid Propyl acetate Propyl alcohol Propyl chloride Propyl ether Propyl mercaptan Styrene monomer Tar Tetrachloroethane Tetrachloroethylene Tetrahydrofuran Thiophene Toluene Toluene – 2,4,- diisocyanate Trichloroethane Trichloroethylene Trichlorofluoromethane Turpentine Urea Uric acid Valeric acid Valeric aldehyde Varnish fumes Vinegar Vinyl acetate Vinyl chloride monomer Xenon delay Xylene



### Norit Americas Inc. • 3200 West University Avenue • PO Box 790 • Marshall, TX 75671 USA Telephone +1 903 923 1000 • +1 800 641 9245 • FAX +1 903 923 1003 www.norit-americas.com • info@norit-americas.com

# INFORMATION SHEET

Norit Americas Inc. • 3200 West University Avenue • PO Box 790 • Marshall, TX 75671 USA Telephone +1 903 923 1000 • +1 800 641 9245 • FAX +1 903 923 1003 www.norit-americas.com • info@norit-americas.com 73-001-IS Oct 2007



### Category 2

Acetic acid Acetone Acrolein Butadiene Butyraldehyde Chlorine Combustion odors Dichloromonofluoro- methane (Freon 21) Dimethyl sulfide Ether Ethyl alcohol Ethyl chloride Ethyl formate *Ethyl mercaptan Hexane Hexene Hexyne *Hydrogen iodide *Hydrogen sulfide Methyl acetate Methyl bromide Methyl chloride Methyl ether Methyl formate Nitromethane Pentane Pentylene Pentyne Phosgene Propionaldehyde Rubber fumes *Sewage odors



### Category 3

Acetaldehyde Acetonitrile Acetylene *Amines Butane Butylene Carbon dioxide Ethylene oxide *Formaldehyde *Formic acid *Hydrogen bromide *Hydrogen chloride *Hydrogen fluoride *Hydrogen selenide Methyl alcohol *Methyl mercaptan *Nitric acid *Nitrogen dioxide Propane *Sulfur dioxide *Sulfuric acid *Sulfurtrioxide



### Category 4

*Ammonia Carbon monoxide Ethane Ethylene Hydrogen *Hydrogen cyanide *Mercury vapors Methane

*Materials marked with an asterisk may require an impr egnated carbon to achieve desired removal efficiencies.

For more information on the capabilities of No rit activated carbons, please contact us at:

Norit Americas Inc. 3200 West University Avenue Marshall, TX 75670 +1 800 641 9245 Phone: +1 903 923 1000 FAX: +1 903 923 1003 Email: info@norit-americas.com