Activated Carbon

Kuraray Group has contributed to industrial and environmental fields worldwide for many years through our activated carbon business. Leveraging the global network of Calgon Carbon Corporation and Chemviron S.A., we offer high-quality, technologically advanced granular activated carbon. Produced from diverse raw materials such as coconut shells, wood, and coal, our granular activated carbon is used in water treatment, air purification, food and pharmaceutical refining, chemical processes, and other applications. Its high surface area and optimal particle size provide an ideal balance of fluid permeability and adsorption efficiency for stable treatment performance. Kuraray offers a wide lineup with optimized particle size distributions and physical properties tailored to application needs, including renewable types that help reduce environmental impact. With decades of accumulated expertise and reliability, we propose the most suitable adsorbents to solve customer challenges.

Powdered activated carbon is a finely powdered adsorbent that provides rapid adsorption performance. It is widely used in drinking water treatment, wastewater treatment, food and pharmaceutical refining, and decolorization and deodorization of chemical products, making it ideal for processes requiring fast adsorption. Kuraray’s powdered activated carbon can be precisely adjusted in adsorption characteristics based on raw materials and manufacturing methods, enabling high-purity and high-activity products. Produced from carefully selected carbon-rich raw materials, our powdered activated carbon is primarily used for liquid-phase applications.

Pelletized activated carbon is a high-density cylindrical adsorbent with excellent abrasion resistance and flow characteristics, making it ideal for gas treatment and air purification. It is widely used for VOC removal, deodorization, and industrial exhaust gas treatment, and its easy handling and replacement are key advantages. Carbon Molecular Sieves (CMS), on the other hand, are specialized adsorbents that selectively separate nitrogen and oxygen based on molecular size differences, serving as a core material for nitrogen gas generators. Kuraray supplies high-performance CMS produced using proprietary manufacturing technologies, offering precise separation performance and long service life, delivering reliable gas separation solutions for industrial applications.

Fine-powdered activated carbon is a high-function powdered activated carbon with precisely controlled pore structure and particle size. Its uniform performance and particle size, achieved through strict quality control from raw material selection to manufacturing, are particularly valuable for carbon block materials used in home water filters, where small variations can affect final product appearance and performance. Kuraray’s fine-powdered activated carbon also has a long-standing track record in energy storage applications, including electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC) and lithium-ion battery anode materials, meeting high industry standards for stability and reliability.

Impregnated activated carbon is a functional adsorbent that enhances reactivity and adsorption performance for specific chemicals by impregnating the surface with selected agents. It is highly effective for applications in which standard activated carbon is insufficient, such as removing basic gas components and dissolved lead in water. Kuraray offers high-performance, stable products through optimal selection of impregnation agents and uniform impregnation techniques. Our impregnated activated carbon is widely used in industrial exhaust gas treatment and as filter materials in air purifiers.

KURANODE™ is a hard carbon anode material for lithium-ion secondary batteries, produced from plant-based raw materials with low environmental impact. Compared with conventional graphite anodes, it offers superior input–output characteristics, cycle life, and low-temperature performance. It also features excellent cost performance and low moisture absorption compared with traditional hard carbon, making it a highly attractive next-generation anode material.