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

Around 2001, Japan and the world were in the midst of tightening environmental regulations, and the development of activated carbon progressed rapidly. In Japan, the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins and the Basic Law for Establishing a Recycling-based Society were established, and activated carbon became indispensable for treating exhaust gas from incinerators. Powdered activated carbon was blown into the flue to adsorb dioxins and mercury, which were then collected by a dust collector, becoming the mainstream method, prompting the replacement of facilities in many regions. As the Waste Incineration Directive and Solvents Directive were enforced in Europe, and regulations on emissions of VOCs and hazardous substances were tightened internationally, Japanese companies rushed to improve porous materials and expand their markets. In addition to granular and powdered materials, research and development focused on fibrous activated carbon, which has excellent air pe
rmeability and adsorption speed, and reported results such as simultaneous removal of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides and rapid adsorption of organic gases. These new materials were introduced in a wide range of applications, from household water purifiers and air purifiers to large-scale systems in factories and plants. The tightening of regulations meant both a cost burden and the creation of new markets, and activated carbon matured from being a mere material to a comprehensive environmental technology that included measurement, operational control, and combination with catalysts. This period was a symbolic turning point in which activated carbon moved beyond exhaust gas treatment and water quality improvement to become a leading growth area in the environmental business, and was an important period that laid the foundation for today's high-performance adsorbents and regeneration technologies.