chlorine/bleach smell and carbon filter

[doams]

we have activated carbon filter

there was a bit of bleach spilled in box.


that bleach/chroline smell is now trapped in carbon will it dissapear from carbon after time or it will stay in there forever? /I think about dissapearin because chlorine evaporates maybe it will evaporate from carbon too?



2nd question:


from my understanding there will be buildup in carbon over time depending on how intense the smell is if there is no smell to filter the carbon filter will work untill its full that means it will be fine even after 6 months then it will work another 4 months with smells is that correct?


if there is nothing to filter carbon will be effective maybe forever?
I mean if you have sterile empty box with carbon filter and the air is clean it can run years then you put a plant in there and it will work for 4 months..since it was not filled with anything for years.



and also if you have very strong smell it will work untill its filled up maybe just one month with some strong odors so it depend on intensity of smells not time.
Am I right?

 

[f-e]

Carbon has pores. It's not chemical magic. Just a fine filter. If nothing fills them, then yes, it's life is pretty much infinite.

There can be many different pore sizes. We are interested in pores within a certain range. So we pick various materials and treatments to get carbon with as many of the right pore sizes as possible. If they don't get filled, it's quite possible the covering pre-filter might need washing before the carbon is due for replacement.

How bleach will effect pore size I'm unsure. It could perhaps reduce an areas effectiveness if spilled directly on the carbon. It could be a coal product, or wood. Often wood still has some substance that bleach would alter. Or maybe your carbon is chemically impregnated and could really suffer. That's generally just reconditioned carbon for very specific targeting of pollutants. However anything made from recycling can have things creep in.

I'm using virgin Australian coal based carbon, that been steam treated to clear out the pores, I think. It costs a little more, but a sack goes some way.

 

[Lost in a SOG]

Its actually the charge and capacity to bind to charged particles that makes activated charcoal such a great filter medium.