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Adsorbent Selection

General Guidelines for Choosing Carbon Adsorbents
Physical Characteristics of Supelco Carbon Adsorbents
Adsorbent Cross Reference

In addition to the general guidelines presented in the tables below view the technical report titled “A Tool for Selecting an Adsorbent for Thermal Desorption Applications” (1,770Kb pdf - T402025), which highlights the relative differences between the most commonly used adsorbents with the help of color-coded performance charts.

General Guidelines for Choosing Carbon Adsorbents

For multi-bed tubes, use the weaker adsorbent in front of the stronger adsorbent. For example, use Carbopack™ C in front of Carbopack B.

Relative Analyte Size (1)	Recommended Materials (listed weakest to strongest)
> C20	Carbotrap™ F, Carbopack F
C12-C20	Carbotrap C, Carbopack C, Carbotrap Y, Carbopack Y
C5-C12	Carbotrap B, Carbopack B
C3-C9	Carboxen™ 1016, Carbotrap X, Carbopack X, Carbopack Z
C2-C5	Carboxen 569, Carbosieve™ G, Carboxen 1000, Carbosieve S-III, Carboxen 1021, Carboxen 1018, Carboxen 1003, Carboxen 1012
(1) Analyte size relative to n-Alkanes. Consider all atoms, not just Carbon. For example, even though 1,2-Dichloroethane is a C2, the two Chlorine atoms give it a relative size between C4 and C5.

Physical Characteristics of Supelco Carbon Adsorbents

Adsorbent

BET
surface area¹
(m²/g)

Density
(g/mL)

Porosity (cc/g)

Micropore
Diameter
(Å)

micro-

meso-

macro-

Carbotrap graphitized carbon black (20/40 mesh )

Carbotrap F

0.69

Carbotrap C

0.68

Carbotrap Y

0.45

Carbotrap B

100

0.37

Carbotrap X

240

0.43

0.62

100

Carbopack graphitized carbon black (60/80 mesh)

Carbopack F

0.64

Carbopack C

0.68

Carbopack Y

0.42

Carbopack B

100

0.35

Carbopack Z

220

0.18

1.73

255

Carbopack X

240

0.41

0.62

100

Carbon Molecular Sieve

Carboxen-1016

0.40

0.34

Carboxen-569

485

0.58

0.20

0.14

0.10

5 - 8

Carboxen- 1021²

600

0.62

0.30

5 - 8

Carboxen-1018²

675

0.60

0.35

6 - 8

Carbosieve S-III³

975

0.61

0.35

0.04

4 - 11

Carboxen-1003

1000

0.46

0.38

0.26

0.28

5 - 8

Carbosieve G

1160

0.49

0.02

6 - 15

Carboxen-1000

1200

0.48

0.44

0.16

0.25

10 - 12

Carboxen-1012

1500

0.50

0.66

19 - 21

¹ Brunauer, Emmett, Teller (BET) surface area calculations
² microporous, monoporous carbon sieve
³ closed pore structure

Adsorbent Cross Reference

Adsorbent

Supelco Equivalent or Substitute

Ambersorb® 347

Carboxen 564

Anasorb C300

Hopcalite

Anasorb CMS

Carboxen 564, Carboxen 1000, Carbosieve S-III

Anasorb CSC

Coconut charcoal

Anasorb GCB1

Carbopack B, Carbotrap B

Anasorb GCB2

Carbopack C, Carbotrap C

Anasorb 708

Chromosorb® 108

Anasorb 727

XAD-4

Anasorb 747

Carboxen 564, Carboxen 1000, Carbosieve S-III

Carbograph 1

Carbopack B, Carbotrap B

Carbograph 2

Carbopack C, Carbotrap C

Carbosphere

Carboxen 1000

Graphpac-GC

Carbopack B, Carbotrap B, Carbopack C Carbotrap C

Hydrar

Hopcalite

Purosieve

Carboxen 1000

Spherocarb

Carboxen 1000

Tenax® GC

Tenax® TA

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