Iodine Number in Activated Carbon: Why It Matters

What is Iodine Number?

The iodine number measures activated carbon’s micropore surface area (mg/g), indicating its ability to adsorb contaminants.

Iodine Number & Applications:

1. 600–800 mg/g → Medium adsorption (industrial wastewater, general filtration)

2. 900–1000 mg/g → High adsorption (drinking water, food processing)

3. 1100+ mg/g → Ultra-high adsorption (pharmaceuticals, VOC removal, gold recovery)

Key takeaway: Higher iodine number = better adsorption, but choosing the right range optimizes cost and efficiency.

How It Affects Pricing:

1.Higher iodine = higher cost due to advanced processing.

2.900 mg/g carbon can be 30% cheaper than 1100 mg/g while still effective for wastewater.

Impact of Regeneration:

Reactivated carbon loses 10–30% of its iodine number due to pore blockage and material degradation.

1.Industrial use: Reactivated carbon may still be effective.

2.Drinking water/pharmaceuticals: Fresh high-iodine carbon is recommended.

3.After 3 regeneration cycles, 1000 mg/g carbon drops to ~750 mg/g, reducing adsorption by 20–30%.

Choosing the Right Iodine Number for Water Treatment:

Example: 1100 mg/g carbon removes 98% of pesticides, while 800 mg/g removes 75%—a 23% efficiency gap.

Case Study: Municipal Water Treatment

1.Upgraded from 850 mg/g to 1000 mg/g carbon.

2.Chlorine byproduct removal +35%, filtration efficiency +20%.

3.$50,000 annual savings due to longer carbon lifespan.

Conclusion:

*Iodine number defines adsorption efficiency and cost.

*Higher isn’t always better—select the optimal range for performance and budget.

*Reactivated carbon requires monitoring to maintain effectiveness.