Activated Carbon For Ammonia Nitrogen Removal Heycarbons Manufacturer From China
You’ll learn about the necessity of using activated carbon to remove ammonia nitrogen, treatment process, influencing factors, product, application recommendations and customer cases in this article.
Why Use Activated Carbon to Remove Ammonia Nitrogen from Water?
Why does ammonia nitrogen need to be removed?
From the perspectives of ecological environment and health:
Ecological environment
- Excessive discharge of ammonia nitrogen can lead to eutrophication of water bodies and interfere with the survival of aquatic organisms.
- If wastewater needs to be reused for industry or irrigation, ammonia nitrogen will corrode pipes, block reverse osmosis membranes, or cause soil acidification.
- National laws and regulations have strict restrictions on ammonia nitrogen emissions, and excessive emissions will face fines or closures.
Health
- The presence of ammonia nitrogen in drinking water will produce odor and affect the taste of water.
- Nitrites generated after oxidation of ammonia nitrogen will harm human health.
Excessive ammonia nitrogen content in water will cause harm to the environment and human health, so it is imperative to remove ammonia nitrogen from water. As a highly efficient adsorption material, activated carbon has a significant effect on the removal of ammonia nitrogen from water. The working principle is as follows:
Can activated carbon remove ammonia nitrogen?
Activated carbon ammonia nitrogen removal principle physical adsorption
Activated carbon has a rich pore structure and a large specific surface area, so it has a strong adsorption capacity. The porous structure of activated carbon can adsorb some non-ionic ammonia (NH₃), but its adsorption capacity for ionic ammonium (NH₄⁺) is relatively weak.
Applicable conditions
- The concentration of ammonia nitrogen in water is low (<10 mg/L).
- When pH>9, NH₄⁺ is converted into NH₃ (non-ionic state) and is easier to be adsorbed.
Activated carbon ammonia nitrogen removal principle chemical modification
- Acidification treatment: Use HNO₃ or H₂SO₄ to oxidize activated carbon, increase surface carboxyl (—COOH) and hydroxyl (—OH), and adsorb NH₄⁺ through ion exchange.
- Loading metal salts: Impregnation of metal salts such as CuSO₄ and FeCl₃, and combining ammonia nitrogen through coordination.
- Oxidation modification: Ozone or H₂O₂ treatment to increase the content of surface polar functional groups.
Activated carbon for ammonia nitrogen removal principle biological activated carbon
Nitrifying bacteria are cultivated on the surface of activated carbon to convert ammonia nitrogen into nitrate (NO₃⁻), thereby indirectly removing ammonia nitrogen (aeration is required to provide oxygen).
How to Remove Ammonia Nitrogen from Water?
Different types of activated carbon have different processes and application scenarios for removing ammonia nitrogen, as follows:
General activated carbon adsorption process
General activated carbon is suitable for low-concentration ammonia nitrogen water treatment:
- Usage form: granular activated carbon tower or powdered activated carbon addition.
- Treatment efficiency: generally 20%~40% (for ammonia nitrogen), not suitable for high-concentration ammonia nitrogen wastewater.
Modified activated carbon absorbs ammonia nitrogen process
- Activated carbon carriers may be added with materials such as iron oxide.
- Improves the selective adsorption capacity of NH₄⁺.
- Suitable for medium concentration ammonia nitrogen water.
Biological activated carbon (BAC) process
Biological activated carbon is often used for deep treatment of drinking water or regeneration of recycled water.
- A biofilm of nitrifying bacteria is formed on the surface of activated carbon, and ammonia nitrogen is oxidized into nitrate or nitrite.
- Usually combined with an aeration system to maintain aerobic conditions.
How does Zeolite Remove Ammonia Nitrogen?
Zeolite is a natural or synthetic porous material with a unique crystal structure and ion exchange capacity. It is widely used in water treatment, especially in the removal of ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N).
Zeolite is cost-effective, and has a strong adsorption capacity for ammonia nitrogen. The maximum ammonia absorption value of zeolite is 175, and the ammonia nitrogen removal rate can reach 95%.
Most customers choose to use zeolite and activated carbon together to remove ammonia nitrogen, first using zeolite for coarse filtration and then using activated carbon for fine filtration.
Factors Affecting Activated Carbon Adsorption Efficiency
Multiple factors such as pH, ammonia nitrogen concentration, temperature, activated carbon type, contact time, etc. will affect the adsorption efficiency of activated carbon.
pH
Ammonia nitrogen exists in the form of NH₃ (easy to adsorption) and NH₄⁺ (easy to adsorption). At pH>9, NH₃ accounts for a high proportion and is more easily adsorbed; at pH<7, NH₄⁺ is the main one, and the adsorption effect is poor, and it depends on chemical modification or ion exchange.
Ammonia nitrogen concentration
High adsorption efficiency at low concentrations, and activated carbon is easily saturated at high concentrations (>50 mg/L), and it is necessary to combine other processes (such as zeolite adsorption and biological treatment).
Temperature
The heating can increase the adsorption rate, but excessive (>40°C) may inhibit the microbial activity of bioactivated carbon.
Activated carbon type
Ordinary activated carbon (such as coal-based carbon) has limited effects, while modified activated carbon (such as loaded acidic functional groups or metal oxides) has better effects.
Contact time
Enough hydraulic residence time is required to ensure adsorption balance.
Competitive adsorption
When organic matter and heavy metals are present in water, they will occupy the pores of activated carbon and reduce the adsorption capacity of ammonia nitrogen.
Activated Carbon For Ammonia Nitrogen Removal Product
H₃PO₄ Phosphoric acid impregnated pelletized activated carbon remove ammonia nitrogen
Granular activated carbon adsorbs ammonia nitrogen into the voids of activated carbon, and phosphoric acid H₃PO₄ reacts chemically with ammonia nitrogen. Ammonia nitrogen can be effectively removed and converted through physical adsorption and chemical adsorption. The specifications of Heycarbons granular activated carbon for removing ammonia nitrogen are as follows:
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Size | 8-30, 12-40 mesh |
| Ash | ﹤15% |
| Strength | ≥ 95% |
| Moisture | ﹤15% |
| Specific Surface Area | ﹥900 m2/g |
| Phosphoric Acid H₃PO₄ Content | ≥ 15% |
| Floating Rate | ﹤6% |
Activated Carbon Ammonia Nitrogen Adsorption Customer Cases
Bituminous coal granular activated carbon ammonia nitrogen adsorption customer case
The wastewater is red and contains COD (1500-2000mg/l), BOD (750-1000mg/l), SS (750-1000), and ammonia nitrogen (50-150).
It’s recommended to use bituminous coal granular activated carbon with an iodine value of min700mg/g.
Bituminous coal powdered activated carbon for ammonia nitrogen adsorption customer case
The customer needs to remove COD and ammonia nitrogen from coking wastewater, and the phenol value of activated carbon is required to be 3-4 mg/g.
After communication between the customer and heycarbons professional sales staff, it was finally determined to use 200 mesh coal powdered activated carbon with an iodine value of min900 mg/g.
Activated Carbon Ammonia Nitrogen Removal Application Suggestions
In the actual application of activated carbon to remove ammonia nitrogen, the activated carbon products used are different depending on the ammonia nitrogen concentration. The following are suggestions for practical applications.
Low concentration of ammonia nitrogen (<10 mg/L)
- Preferably use oxidized modified activated carbon or biological activated carbon (BAC).
- Optimize pH to 8~9 to improve NH₃ adsorption efficiency.
Medium and high concentration of ammonia nitrogen (>50 mg/L)
- Combined process: activated carbon adsorption + zeolite ion exchange, or pre-biological nitrification (such as A/O process).
- Regeneration method: Saturated activated carbon can be regenerated by elution with dilute acid (such as HCl) or NaCl solution.
Monitoring parameters
- Regularly check the pH and ammonia nitrogen concentration of the effluent to avoid leakage after adsorption saturation.
Custom Heycarbons Activated Carbon For Ammonia Nitrogen Removal
Heycarbons provides a full range of activated solutions at competitive prices.
Custom Heycarbons activated carbon for ammonia nitrogen
Heycarbons has proudly served the activated carbon industry with high-quality products since 2005, we can customize your coal activated carbon for your project.
- Cost-effective solutions customized according to customer applications. such as impregnated Alkaline or acidic substances, or impregnated KOH, NAOH, K2CO3, KI, CuO, MgO, KMnO4 etc.
- Customize or mixed different raw materials according to different applications. also customized size, CTC, iodine value, ash, etc.
- Heycarbons customized package to promote your brand, and free design service.
Call Us
+86-180 3788 5195
Our Email
info@heycarbons.com
Steps to Customize Heycarbons Activated Carbon Ammonia Nitrogen
Consultation
By understanding your needs and requirements, our salesmen work with you to submit the appropriate activated carbon solution.
Quotation
Heycarbons expert customer service will provide you with a free quote based on your requirements as well as product specifications and quantities.
Production
Heycarbons has sufficient inventory and strong production capacity, and will report production progress to you from time to time.
Shipping
Heycarbons know you need to receive the product as soon as possible, after rigorous quality checks and protective packaging, by fedex shipping.
Heycarbons Activated Carbon For Ammonia Nitrogen FAQs
Heycarbons provides on demand activated carbon solutions worldwide, product quality and customer service are highly rated by our partners and customers.
- Testing of selected raw materials
- Comprehensive display and monitoring of production temperature and time
- Sampling inspection of finished products
- Support any form of third-party testing , such as SGS
1. T/T Deposiit + Balance against copy of B/L
2. L/C
3. T/T deposit + L/C for balance
1. If necessary, the technician can go to the site to guide .
2. Order goods are consistent with the sample and TDS
3. Any quality problems occur, the seller will provide solutions within 24 hours.
4. If the package is damaged due to the seller’s negligence, resulting in a shortage of goods,
the seller should make compensation based on mutual agreement.
For customers’ trial orders, we actually do not have a specific MOQ, any amount is acceptable.
Heycarb need to choose a cost-effective transportation method and quantity based on your specific situation.
Normally , 5-7days , also depend on quantity
Yes, Heycarb provide samples for free.
Normally 25kgs/bag , 20kgs/bag , 500kgs/bag , black bag
Support any OEM drawing design bag .
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