activated carbon

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a form of carbon having very fine pores: used chiefly for adsorbing gases or solutes, as in various filter systems for purification, deodorization, and decolorization.

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activated carbon British  

noun

1. Also called: activated charcoal.   active carbon.  a porous highly adsorptive form of carbon used to remove colour or impurities from liquids and gases, in the separation and extraction of chemical compounds, and in the recovery of solvents

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Etymology

Origin of activated carbon

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Each material was applied to activated carbon fibers to create usable samples.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

In June of this year, Nestle Waters was fined more than $610,000 in Switzerland for having used activated carbon filters on its Henniez bottled mineral water.

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

These compounds either bind in the pores of the activated carbon or they stay in the water.

From Salon • Jul. 23, 2024

The water will go through various stages of treatment, passing through activated carbon filters and reverse-osmosis membranes, as well as undergoing disinfection with UV light, among other treatments.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2023

Filters containing activated carbon or reverse osmosis membranes can remove the compounds.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 5, 2023