Activated Carbon (Coconut-Shell, Coal-Based & Wood)

Granular, powdered and extruded activated carbon bought on iodine number, CTC, hardness and mesh

Activated carbon under HS 3802.10 is carbon that has been steam- or chemically activated into a network of micropores, and it is bought on adsorption numbers rather than on chemistry. The iodine number (ASTM D4607) states the milligrams of iodine one gram of carbon adsorbs and is the first figure on every specification; water-treatment grades sit in a band of roughly 600–1,100 mg/g. Carbon tetrachloride activity (ASTM D3467), or the butane activity that has replaced it in some laboratories, measures the pore volume that matters for vapour-phase work. Hardness and ash decide how a carbon survives handling: coconut-shell carbon is the hardest and lowest-ash of the common raw materials, which is why gold carbon-in-leach (CIL) and carbon-in-pulp (CIP) plants specify it and expect an iodine number of 1,000 mg/g and above with a CTC figure that confirms full activation. Granular carbon (GAC) is sold by US sieve range, with 8x30 and 12x40 the common water-treatment cuts and coarser cuts for gold plants; powdered carbon (PAC) is defined as 95–100% passing a stated sieve; extruded pellets run from 0.8 mm upward for gas-phase beds. Raw material sets the pore structure: coal-based carbon for municipal water and flue-gas mercury capture, wood-based and chemically activated carbon for sugar and glucose decolourising, coconut shell for gold, drinking water, air and gas.

UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations put HS 3802.10 at USD 2.32 billion across the reporters in the pull, led by China (19.3%, 316,863 MT), the United States (17.4%), India (13.2%, 177,940 MT), Belgium (8.4%), Sri Lanka (6.6%, 60,073 MT), the Philippines (5.2%, 206,697 MT), the Netherlands (4.9%), Germany (4.3%) and Japan (3.8%). Sri Lanka's industry is built on coconut shell: Haycarb, established in Colombo in 1973, states an annual production capacity above 58,500 MT across its plants. Buyers in the United States should note that certain activated carbon from China has been under a US antidumping duty order (case A-570-904) since 27 April 2007, continued after sunset review in November 2023 and still under administrative review in 2026, so a Chinese-origin cargo for a US discharge carries that duty exposure. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers activated carbon between activation plants and trader allocations on one side and water utilities, gold mines, sugar and glucose refineries, air-treatment and industrial buyers on the other, in 25 kg bags and 500 kg or 1,000 kg jumbo bags in containers, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms. Offers stand against a manufacturer or SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek test report giving iodine number, CTC or butane activity, hardness, ash, moisture, apparent density and sieve analysis, with a certificate of origin and a safety data sheet. Price is negotiated per lot on raw material, form and mesh. Send the application, the mesh and iodine number required and the discharge port, and the enquiry is screened and worked against it.

Need the ship as well? Our chartering desk prices Norway to India olivine sand freight on LaycanDesk.

Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.