Activated carbon

Form of carbon with an extremely high surface area

Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is a form of carbon commonly used to filter contaminants from water and air, among many other uses. It is processed (activated) to have small, low-volume pores that greatly increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions. (Adsorption, not to be confused with absorption, is a process where atoms or molecules adhere to a surface).

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