How to make Activated Carbon

Activated Carbon has many uses including wound dressing, gardening, toothpaste, and water filtration. This article is about how to make activated charcoal that can be used in water filtration. Many people have heard of making a biofilter which is comprised of sand, gravel, and activated charcoal but few know how to make activated charcoal for the biofilter.

What you will need:

• Safety equipment (gloves, eye protection)
• 5 Gallon bucket (food grade)
• A couple logs of hardwood (oak, ash, cherry, maple. poplar)
• Calcium chloride (liquid or solid)
• Old cookie sheet
• An oven
• A BBQ grill or metal cover (will explain below)
• A free day
• Cheese cloth

Steps:

1. In a safe area (fire pit, BBQ grill etc) light your logs on fire. Cover them with a metal dome or bucket. If you are doing this in a BBQ grill, lay down aluminum foil on the grill and after lighting the logs close the cover and most of the vent holes. The goal is to reduce the amount of oxygen so the logs become charcoal and not ash.
2. When the log is done burning and is cool to the touch, brake up the bigger pieces smaller than the size of a quarter.
3. Put on safety equipment. In a 5 gallon bucket pour a solution 3 to 1 of water and calcium chloride. If in a solid form, first dissolve the calcium chloride in water and then pour in the 5 gallon bucket.
4. Put the pieces of charcoal into the bucket, replace lid, and let it soak for 24 hours.
5. Put on safety equipment. Place cheesecloth over a bucket on the ground to act as a strainer. Pour out the solution so all you have is the charcoal.
6. Pour clean water over the charcoal to release and lingering chemicals. Let dry.
7. After it is dry, put charcoal on a cookie sheet and place in an oven at 200 degrees for 3 hours. This ensures no moisture is in the charcoal.
8. When cool, crush up into a power and store in a re-sealable plastic bag.

Now you can use the activated charcoal for water filtration or for another of its many uses. If using for bio filter you can use the same 5 gallon bucket. First put a spigot on the side of the bucket toward the bottom. Simply put the cheese cloth at the bottom, then the activated charcoal, fine sand, and small gravel. Pour dirty water through the top and get clean water through the bottom.