Overview
Precious metals such as palladium and platinum are spread across activated carbon to make catalysts used in fine-chemical and pharmaceutical synthesis. The carbon's large surface keeps the metal finely dispersed, and at the end of its life the carbon can be burned off to recover the metal.
How it works
- Carbon is impregnated with a metal solution.
- The metal is fixed onto the carbon surface.
- The finished catalyst is used in reactors, such as for hydrogenation.
- Spent catalyst is burned to recover the precious metal.
Why coconut shell
Its hardness and purity make coconut-shell carbon a common choice for catalyst supports.
This page describes activated carbon in general. Suitability for a specific use depends on the activated carbon grade and the system it is used in.