How To Select Activated Carbon For RO Pretreatment Systems？

Activated carbon is one of the most important filtration media used in RO pretreatment systems to protect reverse osmosis membranes from oxidants, organic contaminants, and disinfection by-products. Choosing the correct activated carbon requires careful evaluation of key parameters including iodine value, catalytic activity for chloramine removal, particle size distribution, mechanical strength, and purity. This guide explains how different raw materials such as coal-based, coconut shell, and wood-based activated carbon perform in RO pretreatment and provides practical selection strategies for drinking water, industrial water treatment, and desalination systems.