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

Many standard approaches rely on adsorption, meaning the chemicals stick to materials such as activated carbon or ion-exchange resins.

From Science Daily • Dec. 25, 2025

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

“The most studied filtration method for this is activated carbon adsorption,” Campbell said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2024

Most filters contain activated carbon to capture contaminant particles, which can be used in pitchers, refrigerator dispensers, faucet attachments or systems installed under the sink.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 5, 2023

On Wednesday, the Ohio city of Steubenville detected butyl acrylate in its water intake, though officials said it would be removed from the river using powder activated carbon.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2023