Content

• Steps
• Warning
• What you need

Activated carbon, sometimes called activated carbon, is a useful material for filtering contaminated water or air. In emergencies, activated carbon can be used to flush harmful toxins from the body. To make activated carbon, you first need to burn wood or fibrous plant materials into charcoal, then use activators like calcium chloride or lemon juice and complete the activation.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Burning wood to charcoal

1. 

   Burning one medium-sized fire in a safe place. An outdoor fire is probably the easiest way to make activated carbon, but you can also do this in an indoor fireplace. The fire needs to be hot enough to burn the wood.
   • Take precautions when burning a fire and always have a fire extinguisher nearby.

2. 

   
   
   Pile pieces of hardwood into a metal pot. If you don't have hardwood, substitute any thick, fibrous plant material, such as coconut shells. Place pieces of hardwood or vegetable ingredients in a saucepan and cover with a lid.
   • The pot lid should have a vent, although steam inside the pot is also limited during combustion. You can use a camping kettle so air can escape through the kettle.
   • The ingredients put into the pot as dry as possible.

3. 

   
   
   Heat the pot over an open flame for 3-5 hours to form charcoal. Place the covered pot over the flame. While you cook, you will notice smoke and steam escaping through the vent on the lid. This will burn everything in the material, except for carbon (coal).
   • When there is no longer any smoke or steam coming out of the pot, the cooking is complete.

4. 

   
   
   Use rinsing water when the coal has cooled. The charcoal in the pot will remain hot for a while after being heated. You need to wait a long time for the coal to cool. Once the charcoal has cooled to touch, pour the charcoal into a clean container and rinse with cool water to remove the residual ash and debris, then drain off the water.

5. 

   Crushing coal. Put the washed charcoal in the mortar and use the pestle to pound it into a fine powder. You can also put charcoal in a sturdy plastic bag and use a hammer or meat tool to grind it into a fine powder.

6. 

   Wait for the coal to dry completely. If you use a plastic bag to crush the coal, empty it into a clean bowl, but if you use the mortar to crush the coal, just leave the charcoal in the bowl. The coal will dry within 24 hours.
   • Check with your hands if the coal is dry; The charcoal must dry completely before you move on to the next step.
   advertisement

Part 2 of 4: Activating coal

1. 

   Dissolve the calcium chloride with water in a 1: 3 ratio. You must be very careful when mixing these substances, as the resulting solution will be very hot. You need enough solution to submerge coal. An average batch of coal requires about 100 g of calcium chloride mixed with 300 ml of water.
   • Calcium chloride is available at chemical supply stores and retailers.

2. 

   Use bleach or lemon juice as a substitute for the calcium chloride solution. If you can't find calcium chloride, you can substitute it with bleach or lemon juice. Just 300 ml of bleach or 300 ml of lemon juice will suffice.

3. 

   Stir the calcium chloride solution with coal powder. Pour dry charcoal into a stainless steel bowl or glass bowl. Pour calcium chloride solution (or lemon juice / bleach) into the coal powder little by little, while stirring with a spoon.
   • Stop pouring the solution when the mixture has reached a paste-like consistency.

4. 

   Cover the coal bowl and wait for 24 hours. Cover the coal bowl and let it sit for 24 hours, then drain any liquid from the bowl as dry as possible. Until this time the coal is still wet but not soaking wet.

5. 

   Heat for another 3 hours to activate the charcoal. Pour the coal back into a (clean) metal pot and set it on fire. The fire must be hot enough to boil water and to activate the coal. The charcoal will be activated 3 hours after boiling at this temperature. advertisement

Part 3 of 4: Use of activated carbon

1. 

   Understand how activated carbon works. Activated carbon is useful in treating air and water odors, bacteria, pollutants and allergens. It works to absorb odors, toxins, bacteria, pollutants, allergens and chemicals into tiny holes in coal.

2. 

   Indoor air purification. Wrap some activated carbon in a piece of linen and place in a place where the air purifier is needed. If you don't have linen, you can use a breathable, well-woven fabric, such as cotton.
   • Avoid using fabrics that smell like soap or bleach. The coal will absorb both these odors and reduce efficiency.
   • To increase the efficiency of air filtration, you can set a fan to blow through the coal bag. The air will be filtered through the coal.

3. 

   Use socks as activated carbon water filters. Store water purifiers are quite expensive, but you can achieve the same water filtration efficiency at no cost by making your own. Find a clean sock that does not smell of soap or bleach, pour activated carbon into the sock and clean the water by pouring water over the sock.

4. 

   Make a clay-activated carbon mask. Mix 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of bentonite clay, half teaspoon (2.5 ml) activated carbon, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) turmeric, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon ( 5 ml) honey in a small bowl. Add water little by little to the mixture and mix until the texture is smooth.
   • This type of mask works to absorb toxins and unclog pores.
   • The natural ingredients used in the mask are safe for almost all skin types.
   • Apply a thick layer of mask over face for 10 minutes, then rinse.

5. 

   Treatment of flatulence and bloating with activated charcoal. Stir 500 mg of activated carbon with 350 ml of water. Drink the mixture before gas-feeding meals or when you begin to feel gas and bloating in your stomach to relieve your symptoms.
   • Drinking activated charcoal with an acid-free juice (like carrot juice) is more comfortable than drinking it with water alone. Avoid acidic juices (such as orange juice or apple juice) because they reduce the effect of activated carbon.
   advertisement

Part 4 of 4: Making an air filter with activated carbon

1. 

   Mask design from a 2 liter plastic bottle. Use scissors to cut off the bottom of a 2 liter plastic bottle. Continue to cut a piece about 7.5 cm wide on the side of the bottle. This piece will start from the bottom of the bottle just cut out to the neck of the bottle, starting to bend toward the top of the bottle.
   • The edges of the empty box on the bottle you just cut out may be jagged. Use medical tape to stick along the cut edges to create a cushion.

2. 

   Make a filter chamber with an aluminum box. Use scissors or a screwdriver to poke holes in the bottom of an aluminum box to breathe. Cut off the top of the aluminum box with strong scissors or scissors.
   • Be careful with the cut edges on the box. These edges are often so sharp that it is easy to break the skin. You can use duct tape or medical tape to stick along the edges like a cushion.

3. 

   Add activated carbon to the mask. Place a layer of cotton on the bottom of the box. Add a layer of activated carbon on top of the fabric, then wrap another layer of fabric over the charcoal. Paste the cotton over the top of the box, then cut a small hole in the cloth.
   • Be careful when placing charcoal in the aluminum box, especially if you do not stick tape to the sharp edges on the box.

4. 

   Paste the parts of the mask and use as needed. Insert the top of the 2 liter bottle into the hole just cut on the cloth covering the top of the box. Stick the aluminum box to the bottle to complete the mask. When you breathe, the air is filtered through the activated carbon in the can. advertisement

Warning

• Watch out carefully when burning coal. The charcoal will not be activated if the fire goes out or the temperature drops too low.
• The improper handling and use of chemicals such as calcium chloride can be dangerous. Follow the safety instructions on the chemical bottle label.

What you need

• Metal pot (and lid with air vent)
• Hard wood (or fibrous plant materials such as coconut shells)
• Container (such as a clean bowl or bucket)
• Mortars and pans (or sturdy plastic bags and meat hammer)
• Calcium chloride (or lemon juice / bleach)
• Stainless steel bowl or glass bowl
• Spoon
• Linen (or fabric that is snug and breathable)
• Clean socks
• Drag
• 2 liter plastic bottle
• Medical tape
• Aluminum box
• Cotton
• Activated carbon