| a form of carbon having very fine pores: used chiefly for adsorbing gases or solutes, as in various filter systems for purification, deodorization, and decolorization. |
| ac·ti·vat·ed charcoal (āk'tə-vā'tĭd) n. Highly absorbent carbon obtained by heating granulated charcoal to exhaust contained gases, resulting in a highly porous form with a very large surface area. It is used primarily for purifying gases by adsorption, solvent recovery, or deodorization and as an antidote to certain poisons. Also called activated carbon. |