Activated carbon's adsorption capacity is its core performance metric—something you can’t afford to ignore when evaluating materials for filtration, purification, or recovery.
The iodine value measures how much iodine (in milligrams) one gram of activated carbon can adsorb under standardized testing. Common ranges include 800, 850, 900, 950, 1000, and 1100 mg/g—higher values point to denser micropore volume and stronger adsorption performance, especially in liquid-phase applications.
Why It Matters
A higher iodine number indicates more micropores, which equates to stronger adsorption—vital for water purification, decolorization, and removal of low-molecular-weight compounds.
Typical values:
600–1100 mg/g: Standard range for water-treatment-grade activated carbon
Over 1000 mg/g: Top-tier adsorption—perfect for drinking water, fine chemical purification, or high-standard filtration.
Raw Material
For example, coconut shell is known for yielding high iodine numbers due to its dense microporous structure.
Activation Method
Controlled physical (steam/CO₂) or chemical (e.g., KOH or H₃PO₄) activation enhances microporosity, boosting the iodine number.
Pore Size Distribution Matters
While the iodine number measures micropores, other metrics like CTC (Carbon Tetrachloride value) gauge adsorption of gases/vapors; the right balance depends on your target pollutants.
>1000 mg/g: High-performance water treatment and ultrapure applications
800–1000 mg/g: General industrial use, filtration, VOC removal
<800 mg/g: Bulk applications where ultra-high adsorption isn’t critical
At YRD Carbon, our products typically fall within the 800–1100 mg/g range. We tailor pore structures through precision activation to ensure your carbon delivers in real-world conditions—not just on paper tests.
Ningxia Yongruida Carbon Co,.Ltd was founded in
2003.With an area of over 50000 square meters ,our
factory is located in the city of Shizuishan Ningxia .
