Activated carbon has been known for its remarkable powers of purification since antiquity. Introduced to the Western world via the European sugar refineries of the 19th century, activated carbon is used today in a stunning array of applications at the home, commercial, and industrial levels. Commercial kitchens can use activated carbon in a variety of ways.
What Is Activated Carbon?
Activated carbon begins life as organic material with a high natural concentration of carbon, such as peat, wood, coal, or coconut husks. The raw material is slowly heated in a low-oxygen environment to draw out water and impurities. The resulting char then undergoes a variety of chemical and physical processing to vastly increase its surface area and create a submicroscopic porous network. Through a process known as adsorption, activated carbon removes a variety of both organic and inorganic compounds.
Exhaust Filtration
Commercial kitchens fill the air with food particles, odors, smoke, and other contaminants. Strong exhaust fans are vital to maintaining safe, healthy conditions in the kitchen. Activated carbon filters the air as it moves through the exhaust system and prevents the kitchen, and ultimately the restaurant, from becoming overwhelmed by the odors.
Water Filtration
Commercial kitchens are generally connected to safe, healthy municipal water supplies. However, the water may have an off color, smell, or taste. Many commercial kitchens add a point of entry filter to the main water line, or a point of use filter to a specific faucet, to improve the aesthetics of the water used for cooking and serving.
In addition, commercial kitchens create a great deal of process water, used for food and beverage preparation, and waste water, which comes from dishwashing and other cleaning procedures. Both process water and waste water may be contaminated, requiring purification before it is discarded or recycled.
Activated carbon is an excellent and popular choice for all types of water filtration. It has the capacity to remove a highly diverse collection of contaminants from water, improving the taste and smell of drinking and cooking water while removing byproducts from process and waste water.
Ready to Get Started?
If you need activated carbon, along with expert guidance on exactly which product to choose and how to use it effectively, please contact Puragen Activated Carbons today to learn how we can help.