activated carbon

activated carbon definition

activated carbon

a form of highly porous carbon that can easily adsorb gases, vapors, and colloidal particles: it is made by destructive distillation of wood, peat, etc., followed by heating the resultant product to high temperatures with steam or carbon dioxide
also called activated charcoal or active carbon

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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