Activated Carbon - Global Industry Market Analysis Report 2020-2031

Activated carbon is a specially treated carbon with a developed pore structure and a huge specific surface area, which gives it super strong adsorption performance and plays a key role in many fields.

From the perspective of characteristics, the most notable feature of activated carbon is its adsorption. Its pore structure includes micropores, mesopores and macropores, which provide a large number of adsorption sites. With the help of van der Waals force and other effects, activated carbon can adsorb impurities and harmful substances in various gases and liquids. For example, it has a strong adsorption capacity for harmful gases such as formaldehyde and benzene, and can effectively purify the air. At the same time, it also has chemical stability and can remain relatively stable in different chemical environments such as acid and alkali, and will not easily react chemically with other substances, which makes it play a role in various complex application scenarios. Moreover, the thermal stability of activated carbon is also good. Within a certain temperature range, its adsorption performance and structure will not be significantly affected.

The preparation methods of activated carbon mainly include physical activation method and chemical activation method. In the physical activation method, the raw materials are first carbonized under the protection of inert gas, and then the carbonized products are activated with activation gases such as water vapor and carbon dioxide at high temperature to form a developed pore structure. The chemical activation method is to mix the raw materials with chemical activators such as phosphoric acid and potassium hydroxide, and then perform activation reaction at a lower temperature, and then wash and dry to obtain activated carbon. Different preparation methods and raw materials will affect the pore structure and adsorption performance of activated carbon. For example, activated carbon prepared by physical activation method using coconut shell as raw material usually has rich microporous structure and performs well in gas phase adsorption; while activated carbon prepared by chemical activation method using coal as raw material may have more advantages in liquid phase adsorption.

In the application field, activated carbon is everywhere. In water treatment, it is widely used in drinking water purification, sewage treatment, etc. In drinking water purification, it can remove odor, pigment, organic pollutants and heavy metal ions in water and improve water quality; in sewage treatment, it can adsorb harmful substances in sewage, reduce chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and achieve standard discharge of sewage. In the field of air purification, activated carbon is often used to make air purifier filters, masks, etc. In air purifiers, activated carbon can absorb harmful gases and particulate matter in the air and improve indoor air quality; in masks, it can effectively filter harmful components in the air and protect the wearer's respiratory health. In the food and beverage industry, activated carbon is used for decolorization, deodorization and impurity removal. For example, in the sugar industry, it can remove pigments from sugar solution and improve the purity and color of sugar; in wine production, it can remove odors and impurities and improve the quality of wine. In addition, activated carbon also has important applications in the pharmaceutical, chemical, metallurgical and other industries, such as for the purification and refining of drugs in the pharmaceutical process, and as a catalyst carrier in chemical production.

With the enhancement of environmental awareness and the development of industrial technology, higher requirements are placed on the performance and application of activated carbon. In the future, activated carbon will develop in the direction of high performance, multi-function and green preparation. In terms of high performance, by optimizing the preparation process and raw material selection, the adsorption capacity and adsorption speed of activated carbon can be further improved to meet more stringent purification requirements. In terms of multi-function, activated carbon materials with multiple functions are developed, such as activated carbon with both adsorption and catalytic properties, to expand its application areas. In terms of green preparation, more environmentally friendly raw materials and preparation processes are used to reduce the impact on the environment and achieve sustainable development.

Report Scope

This report aims to deliver a thorough analysis of the global market for Activated Carbon, offering both quantitative and qualitative insights to assist readers in formulating business growth strategies, evaluating the competitive landscape, understanding their current market position, and making well-informed decisions regarding Activated Carbon.

The report is enriched with qualitative evaluations, including market drivers, challenges, Porter’s Five Forces, regulatory frameworks, consumer preferences, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors.

The report provides detailed classification of Activated Carbon, such as type, etc.; detailed examples of Activated Carbon applications, such as application one, etc., and provides comprehensive historical (2020-2025) and forecast (2026-2031) market size data.

The report provides detailed classification of Activated Carbon, such as Coal-based Activated Carbon, Wood-based Activated Carbon, Coconut-based Activated Carbon, etc.; detailed examples of Activated Carbon applications, such as Water Treatment, Air Purification, Mercury Control, Food & Beverages, Industrial Processes, Pharmaceuticals, Others, etc., and provides comprehensive historical (2020-2025) and forecast (2026-2031) market size data.

The report covers key global regions—North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa—providing granular, country-specific insights for major markets such as the United States, China, Germany, and Brazil.

The report deeply explores the competitive landscape of Activated Carbon products, details the sales, revenue, and regional layout of some of the world's leading manufacturers, and provides in-depth company profiles and contact details.

The report contains a comprehensive industry chain analysis covering raw materials, downstream customers and sales channels.

Core Chapters

Chapter One: Introduces the study scope of this report, market status, market drivers, challenges, porters five forces analysis, regulatory policy, consumer preference, market attractiveness and ESG analysis.
Chapter Two: market segments by Type, covering the market size and development potential of each market segment, to help readers find the blue ocean market in different market segments.
Chapter Three: Activated Carbon market sales and revenue in regional level and country level. It provides a quantitative analysis of the market size and development potential of each region and its main countries and introduces the market development, future development prospects, market space, and production of each country in the world.
Chapter Four: Provides the analysis of various market segments by Application, covering the market size and development potential of each market segment, to help readers find the blue ocean market in different downstream markets.
Chapter Five: Detailed analysis of Activated Carbon manufacturers competitive landscape, price, sales, revenue, market share, footprint, merger, and acquisition information, etc.
Chapter Six: Provides profiles of leading manufacturers, introducing the basic situation of the main companies in the market in detail, including product sales, revenue, price, gross margin, product introduction.
Chapter Seven: Analysis of industrial chain, key raw materials, customers and sales channel.
Chapter Eight: Key Takeaways and Final Conclusions
Chapter Nine: Methodology and Sources.