Overview
During refining, vegetable oils such as coconut, palm, and sunflower, as well as fish oils, can carry polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pigments, and odors. Powdered activated carbon is added during refining to reduce them to regulatory limits.
How it works
- Crude oil is degummed and neutralized.
- Powdered carbon is mixed in, often alongside bleaching earth.
- PAHs, color, and odor compounds are adsorbed.
- The carbon is filtered out before deodorizing.
Why coconut shell
Low-ash, high-purity carbon helps meet food-contact standards in oil refining.
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.