ASTM ACTIVATED CARBON STANDARDS
Summary: If you are a manufacturer, distributor, buyer or user of activated carbon media or products, you have undoubtedly seen the various terms and test methods used to specify activated carbon and seen the name ASTM and a test number listed as a standard reference such as Iodine number 900 minimum per ASTM D 4607. ASTM activated carbon standards are an important tool that allows manufacturers to have quality control test standards for production purposes and permits end-users to compare activated carbon products using such properties such as hardness, ash, activity, density, moisture, etc. that might have implications for their application or use of the activated carbon. This article reviews ASTM and specifically how the Committee on Activated Carbon, D-28, is structured and how activated carbon standards are developed.
ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials) was organized in 1898 and is a not-for-profit organization that provides a forum for the development and publication of standards for materials, products, systems, and services.
Volunteers from academia, manufacturers, producers, consumers, and governmental agencies work under the guidance of ASTM staffers in technical committees to produce global standards that serve as documents for manufacturing, procurement, and regulatory activities. Approximately 80% of ASTM’s income comes from the sale of publications and standards produced by the committees and the other 20% comes from annual dues and administrative fees. There are approximately 130 technical committees staffed by over 30,000 volunteer members from more than 100 countries around the world.
ASTM committees are not static, they merge, change, disband and evolve as technology and material changes occur. Technical committees can have many subcommittees related to the same type material such as the 11 subcommittees under A01 that cover various types of ferrous metals and properties of metals.
ASTM does not have any research or laboratory facilities of its own and it depends upon interested stakeholders and committee member companies to perform quality and analytical testing required to foster new test standards. Each ASTM committee is supported by a designated ASTM staff support person that provides administrative assistance to committee members. ASTM support personnel ensure that ASTM procedures and policies are followed and ASTM assists in meeting planning, public relations, editorial assistance, and computer services.
More information concerning ASTM International can be found by visiting their website email at or contacting them at:
ASTM International
100 Barr Harbor Drive
West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959
Tel: 610 832-9500 Fax: 610 832-9555
The main focus of this article is the Committee on Activated Carbon, D-28. This committee was formed in 1962 and currently has over 30 members that are responsible for the development of definitions and terms and nomenclature, methods of test for activated carbon and the promotion of research in the activated carbon field. Committee members are made up of representatives from activated carbon manufacturers, distributors, OEM’s, QC equipment manufactures, end- users and academia. D-28 is structured into 5 subcommittees:
D28.02 – Liquid Phase Evaluation
D28.03 – Nomenclature and Editorial
D28.04 – Gas Phase Evaluation
D28.90 – Executive
D28.92 – Long Range Planning
Committee positions include chairman, vice chairman, recording secretary, membership secretary as well as subcommittee chairmen. The Committee on Activated Carbon meets twice a year during ASTM committee week, usually March and October, and reviews current activated carbon standards for renewal (standards are reviewed every 5 years). New standards evolve from end-user input or manufacturing quality control concerns. Test methods are usually tested and verified by member manufacturer or user quality control labs in a “round-robin’ type procedure that validates the proposed test method. New proposed standards undergo a rigorous peer review process and are vetted by a majority of the committee for final approval. Any negative ballots for a proposed standard must be addressed before a standard is authorized by the committee.
Interested persons and potential members are welcome to attend Committee D-28 meetings; the next scheduled meeting is in October 2002 in Norfolk, VA. The D-28 Committee can be contacted at
Current ASTM activated carbon Standards, Guides and Practices are:
D 2652-94 (1999) Standard Terminology Relating to Activated Carbon
D 2854-96 (2000) Standard Test Method for Apparent Density of Activated Carbon
D 2862-97 Standard Test Method for Particle Size Distribution of Granular Activated Carbon
D 2866-94 (1999) Standard Test Method for Total Ash Content of Activated Carbon
D 2867-99 Standard Test Method for Moisture in Activated Carbon
D 3466-76 (1998) Standard Test Method for Ignition Temperature of Activated Carbon
D 3467-99 Standard Test Method for Carbon Tetrachloride (CTC) Activity of Activated Carbon
D 3802-79 (1999) Standard Test Method for Ball-Pan Hardness of Activated Carbon
D 3803-91 (1998) Standard Test Method for Nuclear Grade Activated Carbon
D 3838-80 (1999) Standard Test Method for pH of Activated Carbon
D 3860-98 Standard Practice for Determination of Adsorptive Capacity of Activated Carbon by Aqueous Phase Isotherm Technique
D 4069-95 (1998) Standard Specification for Impregnated Activated Carbon Used to Remove Gaseous Radio-Iodines from Gas Streams
D 4607-94 (1999) Standard Test Method for the Determination of Iodine Number of Activated Carbon
D 5029-98 Standard Test Method for Water Solubles in Activated Carbon
D 5158-98 Standard Test Method for Determination of the Particle Size of Powdered Activated Carbon by Air Jet Sieving
D 5159-91 (1997) Standard Test Method for Dusting Attrition of Granular Activated Carbon
D 5160-95 (1998) Standard Guide for Gas-Phase Adsorption Testing of Activated Carbon
D 5228-92 (2000) Standard Test Method for Determination of the Butane Working Capacity of Activated Carbon
D 5742-95 (2000) Standard Test Method for the Butane Activity of Activated Carbon
D 5832-98 Standard Test Method for Volatile Matter Content of Activated Carbon Samples
D 5919-96 (2001) Standard Practice for the Determination of Adsorptive Capacity of Activated Carbon by a Micro-Isotherm Technique for Adsorbates at ppb Concentrations
D 6385-99 Standard Test Method for Determining Acid Extractable Content in Activated Carbon by Ashing
D 6586-00 Standard Practice for the Prediction of Contaminant Adsorption on GAC in Aqueous Systems using Rapid Small-Scale Column Tests
D 6646-01 Standard test Method for determination of the Accelerated Hydrogen Sulfide Breakthrough Capacity of Granular and palletized Activated Carbon
D 6647-01 Standard Test Method for Determination of Acid Soluble Iron via Atomic Absorption
New standards under consideration and review include: guide for carbon reactivation, guide for nitrogen isotherm method, granular activated carbon pressure drop test method, methylene blue test method, molasses number test method and chlorine removal test method.
ASTM Standards are not a “Seal of Approval” such as with the NSF® or UL® mark. ASTM develops and distributes the standards but the Society does not verify that products are tested according to the standard. However, many manufacturers indicate that a product has been tested in accordance with ASTM standards by listing such information on the product specification sheet or label.
Copies of the ASTM International Activated Carbon Standards (stock Number ACTCARBON) are available from ASTM at a cost of approximately $75 (ASTM Customer Service 800 832-9585).
D-28 reviews and reissues existing standards and they also explore possible new standards as new or modified activated carbon products are produced. Activated carbon products or materials such as catalytic activated carbon, activated carbon cloth and activated carbon impregnated paper may require specific ASTM test standards in the future.
While many of the ASTM Activated Carbon Standards are used for production QC purposes and/or activated carbon comparisons and purchasing specifications, other standards and certifications are also utilized by the industry. Many readers might be familiar with the AWWA (American Water Works Association) activated carbon standards for powdered activated carbon (PAC), ANSI/AWWA B600-96, granular activated carbon (GAC), (ANSI/AWWAB604-96), and reactivation of GAC (ANSI/AWWA B605-99) for municipal drinking water. There are also other activated carbon standards and certifications such as FDA Codex for food grade applications, USP for pharmaceutical grade applications, NIOSH for respirator applications and UL, NSF, and even Kosher as well as other international standards such as JIS in Japan and CEFIC in Europe.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kenneth E. Schaeffer has a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Texas at Dallas and has been in the activated carbon industry for over 20 years. He is president of Oceanside, California -based Carbon Resources, LLC, supplier of a diverse line of activated carbon products, equipment and services and is vice chairman of ASTM Committee on Activated Carbon, D-28. Schaeffer can be reached at (760) 630-5724 or email: .