Adsorption is chosen by pore size, not by the word carbon.
ClaryCarb blocks are cylindrical cartridges made from coconut shell activated carbon, sized for standard housings. For bulk and gas-phase duty, Gopani supplies Cabot Norit extruded, granular and powdered carbon as an authorised dealer and distributor.
Where carbon sits in the train
Activated carbon is the stage that takes out what a particle filter cannot: free chlorine, taste and odour compounds, volatile organic compounds and other dissolved chemical contaminants in water, and vapours in gas-phase duty. In a water train it usually follows a sediment cartridge and, where membranes follow, it sits ahead of them. ClaryCarb blocks also serve as the final stage in multi-stage self-cleaning water filters.
What goes wrong with the wrong carbon
Carbon only holds a molecule its pores can take in. A grade with the wrong pore structure passes the contaminant it was bought for, and a loose bed that channels lets water run past the carbon instead of through it. A cartridge that sheds fines sends carbon downstream to the next filter or into the product. In each case the carbon is in the housing, the bill is paid, and the chlorine, odour or organics still reach the membrane or the process.
Blocks for water, loose carbon for bulk and gas
ClaryCarb blocks are made from coconut shell carbon, treated and formed into cylindrical blocks that fit most standard cartridge housings. A formed block cannot channel, fluidise or bypass the way a loose bed can, and it is built to hold its fines. For bulk adsorption and gas-phase duty, loose carbon is the better format: extruded pellets for gas phase, granular carbon for beds, powdered carbon for dosing. The right pore structure is chosen from the size of the molecule you need to remove.
Choosing carbon
Name the contaminant
Chlorine, taste and odour compounds, volatile organics or a specific chemical. The molecule decides the pore class.
Match the pore structure
The carbon should have pores larger than the molecule it must hold: micropores below 2 nm for small molecules, mesopores from 2 to 50 nm for larger organics.
Pick the format
A ClaryCarb block for water through a cartridge housing. Extruded pellets for gas phase. Granular carbon for adsorber beds. Powdered carbon where it is dosed into the liquid.
Protect the carbon
Put a sediment stage ahead of a carbon block so particles do not blind it before its adsorption capacity is used.
Formats and where each fits
| Format | What it is | Stated data | Typical duty |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClaryCarb carbon block | Coconut shell activated carbon formed into a cylindrical block cartridge | Fits most standard cartridge housings; dimensions and ratings per data sheet | Chlorine, taste and odour, VOC and chemical contaminant removal from water |
| ClaryFlow Big Buddy activated carbon | 30 inch large-format pleated cartridge with activated carbon | 5 micron; 15 gpm (4 m3/hr) max; 52 C max | Chlorine, taste, odour and sediment in larger water flows |
| Extruded activated carbon | Anthracite or charcoal fused and extruded at high pressure into cylindrical pellets | Pellet diameter 0.8 to 4.0 mm | Gas-phase applications |
| Granular activated carbon (GAC) | Loose carbon with a larger particle size than powdered carbon | Grade on enquiry | Adsorber beds |
| Powdered activated carbon (PAC) | Crushed or ground carbon particles | Grade on enquiry | Dosed adsorption |
Extruded, granular and powdered carbon are Cabot Norit grades supplied by Gopani as an authorised dealer and distributor. ClaryCarb block dimensions, ratings and chlorine capacity are issued on the data sheet per enquiry.
Pore classes
| Pore class | Pore width | What it means for selection |
|---|---|---|
| Micropores | Below 2 nm | Small molecules such as chlorine and many taste and odour compounds |
| Mesopores | 2 to 50 nm | Larger organic molecules |
| Macropores | Above 50 nm | Transport pores that give access to the finer pore network |
Selection rule stated in our catalogue: the carbon should have pores larger than the molecule it is meant to adsorb. The molecule is held in the pore structure by Van der Waals forces, electrostatic attraction or chemisorption.
Conditions behind the numbers
The Big Buddy figures (15 gpm, 52 C) are the stated maximum operating conditions for that 30 inch cartridge. Carbon capacity for any contaminant depends on concentration, contact time, temperature and competing compounds, so capacity is confirmed on your stream, not quoted from a brochure.
Formats that fit
ClaryCarb blocks are designed for most standard cartridge housings. The Big Buddy carbon cartridge is a 30 inch large-format element with double O-ring seals in EPDM, silicone, Buna-N or FKM.
Activated carbon: direct answers
Does Gopani make the loose activated carbon?
No. Extruded, granular and powdered carbon are Cabot Norit grades, supplied by Gopani as an authorised dealer and distributor. ClaryCarb blocks are the Gopani carbon cartridge range.
Will a ClaryCarb block fit my housing?
ClaryCarb blocks are designed to fit most standard cartridge housings. Send us the housing make and model, or the length and diameter of the element you use today, and we confirm the fit.
What should I tell you to choose a carbon grade?
The flow, the operating temperature, the contaminant you need to remove, and, if you already use activated carbon, which grade. Those three questions decide the format and pore structure.
Why does pore size matter more than surface area?
Because a molecule can only be adsorbed in a pore large enough to admit it. Micropores below 2 nm suit small molecules, mesopores from 2 to 50 nm suit larger organics, and macropores give access to both. A carbon with the wrong pore distribution will not hold the contaminant however much of it is in the housing.
What we need from you for a firm recommendation
- The contaminant to remove and its concentration, from a water or gas analysis
- Flow rate and operating temperature
- The carbon grade you use today, if any, and how long it lasts
- Housing make and model, or the element length and diameter
- What sits upstream: sediment filtration, chlorination, softening
Name the contaminant, the flow and the temperature.
If you already run carbon, tell us the grade. We reply with the format, the pore structure and a quote, and we say plainly when carbon is not the right stage.