Carbon Activated

What Carbon Activated does

Carbon Activated Corporation (CAC) is a privately-held global manufacturer and distributor of activated carbon products and related services, founded in 1993 by Lionel Perera in Los Angeles, California and headquartered in Compton, CA. The company operates across 11 facilities in 8+ countries (US, UK, Germany, Poland, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, China), with owned manufacturing plants in West Virginia (coal-based carbon) and Sri Lanka (coconut shell carbon) and sourcing partnerships in China. CAC's product portfolio spans nine activated carbon variants categorized by raw material (coconut shell, coal, wood) and form (granular, powdered, pelletized), plus specialty surface-modified products (catalytic carbon for chloramine/H2S removal, impregnated carbon for acid gases and mercury), supported by customizable VAP/LIQ series filter vessels.

The business model combines one-time product sales (virgin and reactivated carbon, filter vessels) with recurring service revenue streams including professional changeout services, on-site laboratory testing (mass spectrometry, ASTM/AARL/EPA-compliant analysis), and managed thermal reactivation that restores spent carbon to up to 95% of original adsorptive capacity. CAC is NSF-61, AWWA, ISO 9001:2008, Halal, and Kosher certified, with end markets spanning municipal water treatment, industrial air & gas purification, precious metal recovery (gold CIC/CIL/CIP for major mining companies), and food & beverage processing. Go-to-market is sales-led with technical consultation, free lab testing, and quote-based pricing, supported by global warehouse inventory for immediate shipping.

CAC is ranked 4th or 5th largest activated carbon company globally by its founder and operates as a founder-controlled enterprise with no disclosed institutional investors or external funding rounds. The company employs 51-100 people and maintains wholly-owned regional subsidiaries in Europe, Australia-Pacific, and Sri Lanka, suggesting a consolidated international operating model rather than a franchise or licensing structure.

Name

Carbon Activated

Legal name

Carbon Activated Corporation

Website

https://activatedcarbon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Carbon Activated Corporation is a global manufacturer and distributor of activated carbon products and services (changeout, reactivation, lab testing), serving municipal water, mining, air/gas purification, and food & beverage customers across 11 facilities in 8+ countries. Founded 1993.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Activated Carbon and Industrial Filtration Media

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Activated Carbon & Carbon Adsorbents (IMAEAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Treatment Adsorbents (GAC/PAC/Media) (IMAEAIAK), Biochar, Activated Carbon & Soil Amendments (from forest biomass) (IMAMALAH)

Keywords

• Activated carbon manufacturing
• Water treatment filtration
• Air gas purification
• Precious metal recovery
• Carbon reactivation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Compton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Activated Carbon Products: Sale of virgin and reactivated activated carbon products in various forms including granular, powdered, pelletized, coconut shell-based, coal-based, and wood-based. Products are manufactured at company plants and sourced from partners.
2. Filter Systems and Equipment: Supply and installation of liquid and vapor filter systems. Rental of adsorption filtration systems. Sale of filter vessels for vapor and liquid phase applications.
3. Changeout Services: Carbon change-out services including supplying filter media, professional disassembly/reassembly, dust-free removal of used carbon, refilling with fresh carbon, and transport to recycling facility.
4. Laboratory Testing Services: Quality testing of received and dispatched carbon products, customer sample analysis, and specialized testing including mass spectrometry and laser analysis for specific industries.
5. Reactivation and Reuse: Thermal restoration of spent activated carbon at company facilities, returning it to original adsorptive levels for reuse by customers.
6. Disposal Services: Disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous spent activated carbon for customers who cannot reuse their carbon.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carbon Activated Corporation manufactures and globally distributes activated carbon products (coconut shell, coal, wood, catalytic, and impregnated grades in granular, powdered, and pelletized forms) for water treatment, air & gas purification, precious metal recovery, and food & beverage processing. The company complements its carbon media with customizable VAP and LIQ series filter vessels, professional changeout services, on-site laboratory testing (including mass spectrometry), and NSF 61-certified thermal reactivation that restores spent carbon to up to 95% of original adsorptive capacity. It sells to enterprise and municipal customers directly through an 11-location footprint covering the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, and China.

Product overview

Carbon Activated Corporation offers a comprehensive portfolio of activated carbon products and related services. The core product line includes nine distinct activated carbon types categorized by raw material source (coconut shell, coal, wood) and form (granular, powdered, pelletized, catalytic, impregnated). Coconut shell-based carbons are premium products with high hardness and micropore structure for water and gold recovery; coal-based carbons offer cost-effective filtration with broad pore distribution; wood-based carbons excel at decolorization with meso/macro pores. Specialty variants include catalytic carbon (surface-modified for chloramine/H2S removal) and impregnated carbon (chemically treated for acid gases and mercury). The product portfolio is complemented by customizable filter vessels (VAP and LIQ series) and three key service offerings: professional changeout services, on-site laboratory testing (Quality Control and Mass Spectrometry facilities), and thermal reactivation of spent carbon. Applications span water treatment, air and gas purification, precious metal recovery (gold CIC/CIL/CIP), and food and beverage processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coconut Shell Activated Carbon Premium activated carbon derived from coconut shells with very high hardness and low dust generation, containing predominantly micropores (more than 80%) for drinking water filtration, gold and precious metal recovery, food and beverage purification, and medical applications.
• Coal Based Activated Carbon Activated carbon manufactured from bituminous, sub-bituminous, anthracite, and lignite coal with micro, meso, and macro pore structures for portable water purification, wastewater treatment, industrial air purification, food and beverage purification, medical and pharmaceutical uses, automotive, and chemical purification.
• Wood Based Activated Carbon Activated carbon produced from wood and sawdust using steam or phosphoric acid activation, featuring meso and macro pores ideal for decolorization of liquids, removal of larger molecular structures such as MIB and Geosmin, surface and wastewater treatment, pharmaceutical industry, and edible oil purification.
• Catalytic Activated Carbon Surface-modified activated carbon created by altering the surface structure through gas processing at high temperatures to promote chemical reactions, removing chloramines and hydrogen sulfide from drinking water; an economical solution for H2S levels up to 20-30 ppm that can be regenerated with water washing.
• Impregnated Activated Carbon Coconut shell-based activated carbon chemically modified through surface impregnation with chemicals and metal particles, enhancing adsorption of acid gases, ammonia, aldehydes, radioactive iodine, mercury, HCN, H2S, phosphine, and arsine; used in flue gas treatment, silver-impregnated water purification, and air pollution control.
• Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Versatile activated carbon in granular form made from coal, wood, or coconut shell, ideal for removing contaminants from water, air, liquids, and gases. Coconut shell-based variants have higher micro-pores for small organics and precious metal recovery; wood-based variants have more macro-pores for de-colorization and larger molecular structures.
• Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) Fine powdered activated carbon with particles less than U.S. standard 80 mesh size, made from coal, wood, or coconut shell, used as an economical water treatment option for taste, color, and odor control and organic compound removal; also used in air purification systems, mercury adsorption, and food and beverage processing.
• Pelletized Activated Carbon Cylindrical pelletized activated carbon produced from coal, wood, and coconut shell via high-temperature steam activation, featuring low ash content, large surface area, high mechanical strength, and chemical stability; ideal for vapor phase applications including solvent recovery, VOC removal, air filtration, biogas filtration, and odor control.
• Filter Vessels (VAP and LIQ series) Vapor and liquid phase adsorption vessels available in multiple models (VAP series for vapor phase; LIQ series for liquid phase), customizable to specifications for removal of H2S, siloxanes, VOCs, mercury, PFOS/PFOA, pesticides, and organic contaminants from industrial processes, biogas, natural gas, and remediation applications.
• Changeout Services Professional activated carbon exchange services including filter disassembly/reassembly, dust-free removal of used carbon, visual inspection, refilling with fresh carbon, leakage testing, and transport to recycling facilities, performed by staff trained and certified for hazmat and non-hazmat work.
• Laboratory Testing Services On-site quality control and mass spectrometry laboratory testing including shipment analysis, reactivated carbon analysis, screening and crushing, ASTM, AARL, EN, EPA, CA Prop65, and USP compliance testing, heavy metals analysis down to ppt levels, and gold adsorption capacity testing.
• Reactivation Services Thermal reactivation of spent activated carbon at California and New York facilities, restoring adsorptive capacity to up to 95% of original levels; NSF 61 Certified regeneration for drinking water purposes, environmentally sustainable with only 20% of greenhouse gases compared to virgin carbon production.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ mercury removal when combined with selective catalytic reduction
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Manufacturing Partners in ChinacoreTechnology or IntegrationCarbon Activated works closely with manufacturers in China for activated carbon production. Some carbon sourced from China is produced from multiple hearth furnaces that manufacture high-grade activated carbon with great efficiency and very little carbon loss.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Calgon Carbon Corporation: A leading global activated carbon manufacturer (now part of Kuraray) supplying GAC/PAC and reactivation services for water and air treatment — directly overlapping CAC's core products but at far larger scale.
• Cabot Corporation (Cabot Norit): Global producer of activated carbon (Norit brand) for water purification, mercury removal, and food & beverage — same product categories and applications as CAC within a larger diversified materials portfolio.
• Ingevity Corporation: Manufacturer of specialty activated carbon (notably automotive and purification applications) — overlaps with CAC's specialty and impregnated carbon lines, though with a narrower application focus.
• Kuraray Co. (Activated Carbon): Japanese materials group and parent of Calgon/Kuraray activated carbon operations, competing in the same water and air purification carbon markets CAC serves.

Direct peers

• Oxbow Activated Carbon: U.S.-based activated carbon supplier and distributor across water, air, and industrial markets, comparable to CAC's North American distribution and multi-application model.
• Haycarb PLC: Sri Lanka-based coconut-shell activated carbon manufacturer serving water, gold, and air markets globally — directly comparable given CAC's own Sri Lankan coconut carbon plant and shared feedstock focus.
• Jacobi Carbons: Global activated carbon manufacturer with strong coconut-shell sourcing and reactivation services across water, air, and gold recovery — closely mirrors CAC's multi-feedstock product line and application mix.

Regional players

• CarboTech AC: European manufacturer of activated carbon for air, water, and gas purification, overlapping with CAC's EU-focused distribution and product portfolio.
• Donau Carbon: Germany-based activated carbon supplier and reactivation service provider for water and gas treatment, competing with CAC's European operations in similar product and service categories.

Emerging players

• ADA Carbon Solutions (Arq): U.S. producer of powdered activated carbon focused on mercury and emissions control for utilities — competes directly with CAC's flue-gas and mercury-removal carbon offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CarbonACorp
• Facebookfacebook.com/carbonactivatedcorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carbon-activated-corp.-us

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Carbon Activated