XActive™ is Pore-Fected
Let’s talk about XActive™ and its “pore-fected” surface area! XActive™ Carbon is Carbon Chemistry’s activated charcoal media. This product is made up of carbonized coconut shell that is acid-activated for removing undesirable adsorbates (e.g., colored and toxic compounds) from product solutions and process gases.
This media is particularly good for adsorbing non-polar compounds by Van der Waals attractive forces.
The general term of measurement for porous solids is porosity, which describes the total surface area of particles along with the material density. Nearly all solids classified as adsorbents (and aBsorbents) have porosity.
One of the key defining characteristics between adsorbents is porosimetry: that is, microscopic measurements of the individual pores.
Three major categories of porosimetry
Activated carbon has a multitude of different types and sizes of pores. These are broken down into three major categories of porosimetry according to general size: micro-, meso-, and macro-pores.
Micropores
The micropores are equivalent to our m13ol-sieves in size, but their functionality is considerably less polar than that of mol-sieves, clay, alumina, and all the other polar solids. Since they are less polar, they adsorb small organic molecules (like propane and butane) better than any polar media can.
Mesopores
The mesopores in our XActive™ Carbon are a double-edged sword. They can adsorb most pigments, but they can also trap cannabinoids and terpenes. Fortunately, they trap the more reactive molecules like pigments, fastest. The method of carbon usage is very important since the desired molecules (our “terps & noids”) can only reach these mesopores with excessive heat and contact time. Mesopores over 12Å (1.2nm) in size are necessary to minimize adsorption of desirables and maximize adsorption of impurities.
Macropores
The macropores are also a bit tricky, but they tend to allow cannabinoids and terpenes back out of them, while trapping the more active molecules like pigments, by funneling them into the mesopores.
With XActive™ Carbon, you will get the best of all worlds when it comes to ratios of porosimetry:
- Micropores can adsorb small (even polar) molecules like water, toxic elements like arsenic & mercury, as well as the small functional “moieties” on larger molecules like chloro- and cyano- groups on pesticides to help slow them down. The vast microporosity of XActive™ imbues it with greater holding strength of all sizes and types of adsorbates.
- Mesopores in XActive™ have narrower distribution of this ideal pore size range. The 1.5 to 3nm pores perform most of the non-polar adsorption of larger organic molecules like chlorophyll and anthocyanin pigments by surface adhesive Van der Waals forces.
- Macropores in the coconut shell’s original structure increase total surface area in a highly organized and regular pattern so this AC will perform reliably and uniformly under steady process parameters across all lots of XActive™ media.
Experience the best of activated carbon media with XActive™ Carbon!
Have more questions regarding XActive™ or porosimetry? Give us a call at (888) 446-8421 or email us. We would be more than happy to discuss this and any other questions you have.
Cheers From the Team at Carbon Chemistry