Can activated carbon absorb formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a gas that people are very afraid of. It is a colorless gas. Although formaldehyde has a pungent smell, people cannot feel it in small amounts, so even if they inhale formaldehyde they will not know it at all. However, if formaldehyde is inhaled for a long time, it will cause great harm to health. Therefore, we must take some methods to remove formaldehyde in our lives. Does activated carbon have the effect of absorbing formaldehyde?

Can activated carbon absorb formaldehyde?

1. Can activated carbon remove formaldehyde?

To understand this problem, we must first look at the volatilization pattern of formaldehyde and the adsorption principle of activated carbon?

1. Formaldehyde is recognized as the most difficult harmful gas to control in home decoration pollution. The volatilization period of formaldehyde is as long as 10-15 years, and the high volatility period is as long as 2-3 years. In other words, it is necessary to find a product that can continuously remove formaldehyde for 2-3 years to truly solve the formaldehyde problem.

2. Activated carbon is an artificial carbon material product with a highly developed pore structure and a large internal surface area. It is mainly composed of carbon (87%-97%). Adsorption is the most significant feature of activated carbon. It can adsorb various substances from the gas or liquid phase, and its adsorption capacity is very large. So, can activated carbon remove formaldehyde? Activated carbon is a molecular sieve whose tiny internal pores can adsorb various substances including formaldehyde.

but……

(1) Activated carbon is a static adsorption method and can only capture free formaldehyde around the activated carbon. It can only wait for the formaldehyde in the air to diffuse.

(2) The affinity coefficient of activated carbon to formaldehyde is too low. If the affinity coefficient to benzene is 1, the affinity coefficient of activated carbon to formaldehyde is only 0.52.

(3) Activated carbon’s removal of formaldehyde is a physical adsorption process, which simply adsorbs formaldehyde inside the activated carbon to reduce the concentration of formaldehyde in the room.

(4) Activated carbon adsorption is not targeted. It can adsorb any gas, including benzene, ammonia, TVOC, etc. It can also adsorb some odors and is basically saturated. The proportion of formaldehyde is very low.

(5) After activated carbon reaches saturation, if the temperature rises, the adsorbed formaldehyde will be released again, which will make the indoor formaldehyde concentration higher. This secondary pollution is very serious. The formaldehyde concentration is already above the standard, and the activated carbon releases some of it, which is just adding fuel to the fire.

So, can activated carbon remove formaldehyde? The answer is yes, but it only works for a period of time and cannot completely solve the formaldehyde problem.

2. What is the most effective way to remove formaldehyde from a new house?

Based on the characteristics of formaldehyde volatilization, it can be seen that only long-term formaldehyde removal methods are the most effective.

1. Ventilate frequently

Through the circulation of indoor air, the content of harmful substances in the indoor air can be reduced, thereby reducing the harm of such substances to the human body.

2. Purifier

The air purifier has a layer of filter made of activated carbon, which can absorb a certain amount of formaldehyde. However, it has the same problem as simply using activated carbon. It quickly reaches saturation in a short period of time and needs to be replaced frequently.

3. Fresh air system

It can not only remove formaldehyde, but also purify indoor air and has a long service life. But the disadvantage is that it is a bit expensive and the fresh air system needs to be installed during the decoration.

Summary: There is no scientific basis for the popular methods of removing formaldehyde by fruit, boiling vinegar, or using ozone. Not only can these methods not remove formaldehyde, they may even increase the formaldehyde content in the room. The reason why many people feel that the interior decoration smells less after using fruits is because the smell of fruits masks the smell of formaldehyde. Only by understanding formaldehyde scientifically can we achieve a truly healthy life. Can activated carbon remove formaldehyde? Of course it can, but it needs to be used in combination with other methods and avoid adverse situations.