Black Porous Pores Opened the Door to the Environmental Industry: The Era of Accelerated Activated Carbon Development 2001

Black Porous Pores Opened the Door to the Environmental Industry: The Era of Accelerated Activated Carbon Development 2001

At the threshold of the 21st century, Japan and the world were rapidly reweaving the web of environmental regulations. In Japan, the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins was enacted in 1999 and became fully operational in 2000. The Basic Law for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society was also enacted, and resource recycling and hazardous substance control became the pillars of policy. In Europe, the Waste Incineration Directive of 2000 tightened dioxin standards for incinerators, and the Solvents Directive of 1999 imposed emission limits for volatile organic compounds on industries that handle organic solvents. In Japan, too, a system for notification of emission transfers of chemical substances began to take effect in 2001, forcing factories and local governments to visualize and reduce emissions. This chain of regulations has pushed activated carbon, an old yet new porous material, to the forefront.

In incinerator flue gas control, powdered activated carbon is blown into the flue after cooling and adsorbs dioxin and mercury in front of a filter cloth dust collector. The adsorption suppresses the re-generation of dioxin and mercury, which are then collected by a bag filter. From the late 1990s through 2001, this method rapidly penetrated the guidelines and practices of various countries, creating a new market in the equipment industry. In Japan, incineration facilities were also becoming more sophisticated, and the issue of brand names and supply systems for activated carbon became an issue.

In the water and air field, research and development of fibrous activated carbon gained momentum in addition to granular and powder activated carbon. The fibrous form can be formed thin, has low airflow resistance, and has a high adsorption rate. Japanese researchers have reported simultaneous removal of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides and rapid adsorption of organic gases, expanding the range of applications from household water and air purification to industrial use. Activated carbon design and regeneration technologies will be successively introduced to remove taste and odor, control trace chemicals, and improve the working environment.

Stricter regulations were also a cost, but also a technological advancement and market expansion. Strict emission standards for incinerators encouraged equipment upgrades, and solvent regulations promoted the introduction of local exhaust ventilation and adsorption recovery for painting and printing. Chemical emission notifications encouraged self-management and encouraged the selection of adsorbent materials and a review of their life cycles. Activated carbon matures not as a stand-alone material, but as a comprehensive technology that includes measurement and operational control, as well as combination with filtration and catalysts.

Looking back, the period around 2001 was a time when regulations and markets, research and implementation meshed, and activated carbon emerged as a key element of the environmental business. International standards for dioxins and volatile organic compounds changed the field of exhaust gas treatment, water treatment, and air purification, and spurred innovation in materials and equipment. The development of high-performance filtration and fibrous activated carbon that continues today is built on the foundation of this era.