Granular Activated Carbons

Granular activated carbons, GAC, have been used for decades, since the 1950’s, in the sugar industry to decolorize cane refinery liquors.
After the seventies of last century, char was almost completely replaced by vegetable granular carbons. These carbons present a specific surface area ten times higher than that of char, and consequently, their decolourizing capacity is much higher (Field and Benecke, 2000). Less carbon is therefore needed to achieve the same colour removal.
Due to their fine pore structure, these adsorbents have a very high surface area resulting in a high adsorption capacity for organic compounds, such as sugar colourants.

Bibliography

Field P.J., H.P. Benecke, 2000, Granular carbon decolorization system, in
Handbook of Sugar Refining, Ed.
           C.C. Chou, Pub. John Wiley&Sons Inc., 91-119

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