re-using activated Carbon?

[hazedaze]

so I have this idea...can i put my old carbon(from my home made carbon filter)
in a large 4 inch deep pan ...and toss it in the Oven to cook out all the oils that have accumulated.. I assume it can withstand like 400deg f...probably a lot hotter. Mabey this would recharge the carbon.

[The Cannarchist]

Do you have one of those oven cleaning functions?

[c-ray]

I was thinking the same thing recently...

[The Cannarchist]

Just pop it in the oven and do an auto clean.Tap the dust out at the end, and you are ready to go.

[Irie1]

Is this really possible? Can I somehow empty my can and do this?

[c-ray]

here's some clues
http://www.brewhaus.com/Catalogs/activated_book1.pdf (look at pages 20 + 21)
and
http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/month.200302/msg00053.html
and
http://www.google.ca/search?q=%22regeneration+of+activated+charcoal%22&btnG=Search&hl=en&safe=off

[c-ray]

from http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14150630

Résumé / Abstract
Activated charcoal, used for decolorization and purification of crude protease, was regenerated by treatment six times with acetone/water (40:60 v/v), followed by drying. This multistage leaching followed the leaching equation adapted to multistage leaching. The regenerated charcoal was nearly as effective as fresh charcoal in decolorization and purification of crude protease, but only after drying.

[c-ray]

here's pages 20 + 21 from the activated carbon book link above

Recycling activated carbon.
If you remove the impurities in the used activated carbon, it can be re-used. You can recover up to 80% of its effectiveness, which in practice is 100%, since one seldom uses the carbon to its limit. In theory this can be done as many times as you like. If the carbon is soft (e.g., peat carbon will degenerate with recycling), the grains become smaller every time. Hard varieties, like coconut or stone coal keep significantly better, and can be recycled hundreds of times.

There are two ways to recycle activated carbon:
1. With heat (thermal recycling)
2. With steam (steam recycling)

Recycling with heat within the industry is done as follows:
1. The carbon is dried.
2. It is then pre-heated so that the impurities in the carbon pores are carbonized.
3. The carbon is reactivated around 700-1000°C, when the carbonized impurities turn into gas and escape from the carbon. This is done in an oxygen-free environment to ensure that the carbon does not ignite. In this way, the pores become empty once again and the carbon can be reused.
It is not unusual for amateur distillers in some countries to heat recycle their activated carbon. It is done as follows:

Note: the carbon contains mostly fusel oils whose highest boiling point is 138°C. Fusel oils are higher alcohols like amyl, butyl and propyl alcohols and their vapor is flammable.

1. Begin by pouring the carbon into a sieve and rinsing it with hot water from the tap. If the carbon grains are 0.4-0.85 mm, they will go right through an ordinary kitchen sieve when rinsed, so you must get a sieve with a finer mesh or omit this step entirely.
2. Then, boil the carbon in water for 10-15 minutes, to dissolve some of the higher alcohols (already it has a 15-20% regeneration). Boil as long as it smells. Repeat if needed.
3. The carbon is then dried in a deep baking dish or roasting tray. When the carbon has dried, it is placed in an electric oven. Note: keep the kitchen fan on and the window partly open, as the vapor can be flammable.
4. Turn the oven on to 140°C or 150°C and heat up the carbon for 2-3 hours.
5. Turn the oven off and let the carbon cool down - now it is ready to be used again.
Remember that the impurities leaving the carbon when it is heated have a very bad smell. Also note that the danger of recycling carbon in the oven is that it can ignite.
Carbon made from wood or peat ignites at approx. 200°C and stone carbon at approx. 400°C. Stone carbon can sometimes be recycled in the oven at 300-350°C if one wants to do so.

Recycling with steam is common in the alcohol industry and is done in the following manner:
1. The filter is back-flushed with hot water. This is done downward from above, since these carbon filters always works upward from below.
2. After that, the steam is connected and forced through the carbon. This too is done downward from above. The steam is 120-130°C and very soon the carbon is heated to the same temperature. All fusel oils and impurities are flushed out of the carbon pores.
3. Finally the carbon is back-flushed and is ready for use again.
The recycling power of steam is very high, in fact the steam from a kettle is enough to recycle activated carbon. It is not impossible that in the future we will be able to connect an appliance to the still or a steam cleaner, and recycle the carbon this way. There are steam cleaners on the market, to buy or rent, with which you can steam clean walls, floors, houses and similar, in an environmentally friendly way, totally without chemicals.
Filling a large sieve with carbon in a layer of 5-10 cm deep and then blowing it clean with the steam from a steam cleaner shouldn’t be too difficult. The steam from a good cleaner is 145°C, with a pressure of 4.5 bar, and the cleaning process can be left unattended for an hour or longer. The water dripping from the bottom of the sieve can be tasted. When the carbon is clean the water will taste like water.

[hazedaze]

wow thanks for the info...

so looks like carbon used for alcohol can off-gas alcohol......so my carbon will smell skunky :) hopefully no ignition will occure

[c-ray]

guess you'll need to do that at a safe (non-growing) place... could get stinky

[Cannafornia]

I was asking about carbon refills at the hydro store and the manager said that if you run an ozone generator through the filter using an inline fan, the carbon will be rejuvenated in a few hours.

I'm gonna give it a try, after 4 years my "phat filter" started failing to keep the air stink-free. So I got an OdorSok for $80 to replace it, I cannot recommend the OdorSok enough. The thing is so light, I just taped it to my fan and it stays put.

[c-ray]

what's up with those odorsoks I am surprised to hear you recommend it...they look like a novelty item

[Cannafornia]

The only novelty here is that finally someone has made a carbon filter that works, costs very little, and weighs little more than the box it comes in.

The only flaw is that it is imported from China. This is a big deal to me and If the thing cost $120 insted of 80 it would still be worth it to buy North American.

check it wreck it let's begin!

[c-ray]

cool thanks
nice reflectors btw

[The Cannarchist]

6" Broscilicate tubes with aluminium ends by the look.And a reflector on top.?

[Cannafornia]

Cool Tubes from sunlight supply, they rock. Im sick of clunky heavy reflectors and want the option of vertical lighting later on.

Just the first step in setting up a sealed room. I found a really good price on these hoods if anyone is interested, $145 shipped.

[The Cannarchist]

$90 cdn at the local vietcong secondhand hydro shop....What kind of fan are you using for airflow?

[Cannafornia]

Using an 8" can fan that pushes around 7-800 cfm, on a speed controller I only need maybe 2/3 power and the room stays right at 80 degrees. Just put in a foamcore board door that keeps it sealed nice with 6" exhaust and 8" intake ducts.

So the 'cong are selling the Sunlight Supply hoods? that would be about $110 usd roughly, if that includes the wings that's a great deal. The tubes with socket and internal reflector are about $125 on the net and the wings about $25.