Activated Carbon (AC) purchasers and users want a quality assurance (QA) program which includes third-party laboratory testing verification of product quality. ISO requires third-party performance evaluations of laboratory testing by the carbon suppliers QA program.
PACS provides such a QA program for the AC suppliers — it is called the Activated Carbon Quality Program (ACQP). PACS sends out known and secure carbon samples quarterly (iodine number, butane working capacity, ash, etc.) to PACS subscribers for the ACQP.
The subscribers (each are assigned a code from PACS for each of their facilities) analyze the blind quality control samples and send their results to PACS within 21 days of their sample receipt. The subscribers and others interested in AC can also purchase known samples for blind-blind quality control checks. PACS provides the subscribers a full-report on how they did at their lab testing and a comparison with the other labs within ten days. All labs are given security codes; this is a confidential program. Subscribers’ names and locations are kept as confidential information, not accessible to anyone except a PACS administrator. Subscribers are free to use their PACS quality assurance reports in any way they choose.
Thus the ACQP provides a low-cost solution to the main questions from purchasing departments and end-users, "How good are the laboratory numbers and what does it mean to my application?" The purpose of the ACQP is to provide across-the-board quality products by the carbon manufacturers. In addition to the ACQP, an Exclusive Consulting Service Program (ECSP) is available to help clients on specific problems.
PACS has provided services to the activated carbon industry for the last 24 years: ASTM laboratory testing, software programs, R&D, 57 Training courses (5 courses are focused on carbon), consulting, and served as host for the International Activated Carbon Conference (IACC) each October in Pittsburgh, PA. PACS also holds the International Activated Carbon Conference in other countries. In March 2004 our carbon conference will be held in Mexico City and March 2005 in Puerto Rico.
For more information on this Activated Carbon Quality Program (ACQP), please contact either Henry Nowicki, Ph.D. or Barbara Sherman at: