According to the raw materials, they can be divided into:

1. Wood activated carbon: Activated carbon products made from forestry "three wastes" as raw materials, with low ash content, high purity, strong adsorption capacity, etc., mainly used in food industry, medicine, water treatment and other fields;

2. Coal-based activated carbon: Activated carbon made from "coal" as raw material, with high mechanical strength and easy regeneration, mainly used in waste gas purification, sewage treatment and other fields;

3. Activated carbon from other raw materials: Activated carbon other than wood and coal-based activated carbon, such as activated carbon made from tar, synthetic resin, waste rubber, etc., mainly used for scientific research or special purposes, and no large-scale production and utilization has been seen.

According to the manufacturing method, it can be divided into:

1. Chemical activated carbon: Activated carbon produced by mixing wood raw materials with chemical activators and then heating and carbonizing and activating them. It is used in liquid phase adsorption refining and atmospheric adsorption;

2. Physical activated carbon: Activated carbon produced by using carbon-containing raw materials, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and air as activation media at high temperatures (800-1000 degrees Celsius). It is mainly used for smaller molecular liquid and gas phase adsorption.

According to the appearance and shape, it can be divided into:

1. Powdered activated carbon: activated carbon with more than 90% passing through the 80-mesh standard sieve or with a particle size of less than 0.175mm, which has the characteristics of fast adsorption speed and full use of adsorption capacity;

2. Granular activated carbon: activated carbon with a particle size greater than 0.175mm, which includes amorphous granular activated carbon, cylindrical activated carbon, and spherical activated carbon;

3. Other forms of activated carbon: In addition to powdered activated carbon and granular activated carbon, there are other shapes, such as activated carbon fiber, activated carbon fiber blanket, activated carbon cloth, honeycomb activated carbon, and activated carbon board.