Calgon Carbon

What Calgon Carbon does

Calgon Carbon Corporation is a global manufacturer of activated carbon products, reactivation services, and engineered treatment systems used to remove contaminants from water and air. The company produces granular, powdered, and pelletized activated carbon along with ion exchange resins and activated carbon cloth (Zorflex), and operates engineered adsorption equipment (FLOWSORB, CYCLESORB, VENTSORB, Mobile Adsorber). Its core technology relies on coal-based reagglomeration and thermal reactivation processes rather than continuous virgin-carbon production, with proprietary know-how such as FLUEPAC (five U.S. patents for mercury and dioxin removal) and Filtrasorb Rx (>99.9% Destruction Removal Efficiency for PFAS per third-party validated studies).

Calgon Carbon sells primarily to U.S. municipal water utilities (the largest revenue vertical), environmental and industrial water customers (PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, landfill leachate, industrial wastewater), air purification customers (coal-fired power plants, cement kilns, waste combustors), and a long tail of food, beverage, pharmaceutical, metals recovery, and personal protection segments. Revenue flows from one-time carbon and equipment sales, recurring reactivation services (CMR, CIR, WPX, CFR), and professional technical/field services. Distribution is direct enterprise B2B with multi-year contracts and competitive bids; pricing is custom, not publicly disclosed. The company claims over 700 application areas, 20 manufacturing and reactivation facilities globally, and approximately 1,300 employees.

Calgon Carbon has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3405) since March 2018 and is no longer independently listed. Its corporate headquarters sit in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, with European operations consolidated under the Chemviron Carbon brand and Asia Pacific operations run from Singapore. The company is currently investing heavily in U.S. domestic capacity through the Operation Bedrock program and a ~$100M Columbus, Ohio reactivation expansion.

Name

Calgon Carbon

Legal name

Calgon Carbon Corporation

Website

https://calgoncarbon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Calgon Carbon Corporation manufactures activated carbon products, reactivation services, and engineered treatment systems for contaminant removal in water and air, serving municipal water utilities, industrial processors, and air-treatment customers globally as a subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Activated Carbon and Water/Air Treatment Materials

NAICS

Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing (335991)

akta.pro primary industry

Activated Carbon & Carbon Adsorbents (IMAEAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Treatment Adsorbents (GAC/PAC/Media) (IMAEAIAK), Adsorption & Taste/Odor Control (GAC/PAC, Air Stripping) (EUANABAF)

Keywords

• Activated carbon manufacturing
• Water treatment solutions
• Air purification systems
• PFAS removal technologies
• Carbon reactivation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Activated Carbon Products: Sale of granular activated carbon (GAC), powdered activated carbon (PAC), and pelletized activated carbon products. Sold in various forms for water treatment, air purification, food/beverage, pharmaceuticals, metals recovery, and industrial process applications. Multiple product grades across 700+ application areas.
2. Reactivation Services: Thermal reactivation services for spent activated carbon. Used carbon is returned to Calgon Carbon, thermally reactivated at high temperatures, and returned to customers for continued use. Provides cost savings and sustainability benefits.
3. Equipment Systems: Engineered systems including FLOWSORB, DISPOSORB, PROTECT Series, CYCLESORB, Mobile Adsorber, Dual Module, Dual Express, VENTSORB, and VAPOR-PAC for adsorption applications.
4. Ion Exchange and UV Technologies: Ion exchange products (Fixed Bed, ISEP, CalRes, CSEP) and UV Technologies for 1,4-dioxane treatment using UV Advanced Oxidation Process.
5. Technical and Field Services: Emergency services, equipment services, technical services, field services, transportation services, field tests and pilot systems, and equipment leasing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Calgon Carbon manufactures and supplies activated carbon products and related purification systems for liquid and vapor phase applications. The company produces granular activated carbon (GAC), powdered activated carbon (PAC), pelletized activated carbon, and activated carbon cloth, along with ion exchange systems, engineered filtration equipment, and thermal carbon reactivation services for municipal drinking water, industrial wastewater, air purification, and specialty industrial process customers globally.

Product overview

Calgon Carbon is a global leader in activated carbon and water treatment solutions, offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The core offerings include granular activated carbon (FILTRASORB, CENTAUR, BPL), powdered activated carbon (FLUEPAC, RB, BG HHM), pelletized carbon, and activated carbon cloth (Zorflex, Flexzorb). The company provides ion exchange products (Fixed Bed, ISEP, CalRes) and engineered equipment systems (Mobile Adsorber, FLOWSORB, CYCLESORB, VENTSORB). Supporting the product line are reactivation services (CMR, CIR, WPX) that restore spent activated carbon, along with technical, field, and emergency services. Recent addition includes Filtrasorb Rx, a premium reactivated carbon for PFAS compliance. The company serves municipal drinking water, wastewater, industrial process, food and beverage, mining, mercury removal, personal protection, and emerging contaminants (PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, algal toxins) markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FILTRASORB: Reagglomerated, coal-based activated carbon for TOC reduction and contaminant removal from drinking water, wastewater treatment, and purification in process water, food, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications
• FLUEPAC
• BG HHM
• RB
• Zorflex
• Filtrasorb Rx

Products and services

• FILTRASORB Reagglomerated, coal-based granular activated carbon proven over 40 years for TOC reduction and contaminant removal from drinking water, wastewater, process water, food, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications.
• Filtrasorb Rx Premium reactivated carbon solution for municipal drinking water systems with Destruction Removal Efficiency greater than 99.9% for PFAS compounds, 80% lower CO2 footprint than virgin carbon, and lower total cost of ownership compared to virgin activated carbon with incineration or landfilling.
• FLUEPAC Powdered activated carbon specifically designed for mercury and dioxin removal from flue gas at coal-fired power plants, cement kilns, and waste combustors. Patented technology validated through over 75 full-scale trials achieving mercury removal efficiency exceeding 95%.
• CENTAUR Coal-based granular activated carbon for municipal water treatment applications.
• BPL Standard granular activated carbon for air and water purification applications.
• OLC Granular activated carbon for liquid phase applications.
• AMMONASORB Granular activated carbon for ammonia removal in air treatment applications.
• BG HHM Liquid phase powdered activated carbon specifically designed for decolorization in food and beverage process applications and pharmaceutical product purification.
• RB Powdered activated carbon pulverized to mesh size for rapid adsorption rate and high capacity.
• FLUEPAC (powdered activated carbon category) Powdered activated carbon products (WPC, WPH, WPX, PULSORB) for municipal water treatment and environmental water treatment applications.
• Pelletized Activated Carbon (AP 4-60, Minotaur, HGR-P, ST 1 X, WS-380, WS-480) Pelletized activated carbon for vapor phase applications including VOC removal, mercury removal from natural gas, and air purification.
• Personal Protection Equipment Carbon (RVG, RFMC, ASZM, RESPCARB) Specially formulated activated carbons for respirators, collective protection filters, and protective apparel against chemical, biological, and nuclear threats, serving military, industrial, and laboratory markets.
• Gold Recovery Products (Gold Plus, DG, GRC, GOLDCARB) Activated carbon products specifically formulated for gold recovery in mining applications.
• Food & Beverage Products (CANECAL, PMTC, SC2M, SOLCARB) Activated carbon products for food and beverage applications including sweeteners, decaffeination, glycerine, brewing, beverage processing, and chemical purification.
• Ion Exchange Systems (Fixed Bed, ISEP, CalRes, CSEP) Ion exchange resin products and systems for water treatment applications including fixed bed systems, continuous ion exchange, and specialty resin products.
• Mobile Adsorber Mobile adsorption equipment system for temporary or portable water treatment applications.
• FLOWSORB Engineered adsorption system for continuous flow water treatment.
• CYCLESORB Engineered system for cyclic adsorption applications.
• VENTSORB Equipment for vapor phase adsorption applications.
• Carbon Reactivation Services (CMR, CIR, WPX, CFR) Thermal reactivation services for spent activated carbon including Custom Municipal Reactivated carbon (CMR), CIR, WPX, and CFR programs that restore adsorption capacity and reduce disposal costs. Used carbon is thermally reactivated at high temperatures and returned to customers for continued use.
• Activated Carbon Cloth (Zorflex, Flexzorb) Activated carbon cloth products for specialized filtration and adsorption applications, including medical wound care under the Zorflex brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Destruction Removal Efficiency greater than 99.9% for PFAS compounds (Filtrasorb Rx)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor, major and core.

• Sprint Environmental ServicesstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Kuraray (parent company) announced planned acquisition of Sprint Environmental Services' reactivated carbon business, expanding Kuraray/Calgon Carbon's reactivated carbon capacity in North America.
• Buckingham Township (Pennsylvania)minorOthers · 27 January 2026Buckingham Township awarded $2.4M PENNVEST grant for PFAS treatment system. Calgon Carbon designed and manufactured a two-vessel granular activated carbon adsorption unit for the Furlong Water System to remove PFOA/PFOS compounds.
• American WatermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Nine-year supply agreement with American Water for PFAS treatment solutions across 10 U.S. states. This is a significant long-term contract for municipal water treatment using Calgon Carbon's activated carbon and equipment systems for PFAS removal.
• Kuraray Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2018Kuraray Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3405) acquired Calgon Carbon in March 2018. Calgon Carbon operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuraray. The acquisition brought together complementary products and services, integrated activated carbon, filtration equipment and services under Kuraray's portfolio.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CECA (Arkema): Arkema's specialty chemicals subsidiary producing activated carbon and molecular sieves for industrial gas, air treatment, and water applications. Directly comparable in product portfolio and end-market focus to Calgon Carbon.
• Haycarb PLC: Sri Lanka-based global leader in coconut shell activated carbon with 16% share of the global activated carbon mercury control market versus Calgon's 10%. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated activated carbon manufacturer serving municipal water, air purification, and industrial customers.
• Cabot Corporation: U.S. specialty chemicals company that owns the NORIT activated carbon business, directly competing with Calgon in granular and powdered activated carbon for municipal water, air treatment, and industrial process applications.
• Desotec: European activated carbon specialist focused on mobile filtration services and reactivation, directly competing with Calgon Carbon and its Chemviron European subsidiary in industrial and environmental water and air treatment applications.
• Jacobi Carbons (Ecolab): Swedish-origin activated carbon manufacturer acquired by Ecolab in 2021, offering comparable GAC, PAC, and reactivation services to municipal and industrial customers globally. Direct competitor in the same product categories as Calgon.
• Carbon Activated Corporation: U.S.-based activated carbon manufacturer and reactivation services provider serving municipal water and industrial customers. Directly competes with Calgon in domestic GAC/PAC supply and thermal reactivation services.
• General Carbon Corporation: U.S.-based manufacturer of activated carbon and provider of reactivation services for air and water purification. Directly comparable as a domestic competitor in municipal water, industrial process, and air treatment applications.

Broad incumbents

• Ecolab Inc. Global water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions company that acquired Jacobi Carbons in 2021. Broad incumbent with a dedicated activated carbon business unit directly competing with Calgon across industrial, commercial, and municipal water applications.
• Xylem Inc. Global water technology company that acquired Evoqua Water Technologies in 2023, providing broader water treatment and filtration solutions to municipal and industrial customers. Overlaps with Calgon Carbon's municipal and industrial water segments at the system level.
• Veolia Environnement: Global environmental services leader with municipal water utility operations and related water treatment solutions. Adjacent incumbent that increasingly bundles purification media and services, competing for the same municipal water budget as Calgon Carbon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/calgoncarbonccc
• Facebookfacebook.com/calgoncarbon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calgon-carbon-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A5 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Calgon Carbon