Production line and factory setup overview
A medium industrial plant converting qualified apricot, peach or other hard fruit stones into granular activated carbon through feedstock washing and drying, controlled crushing and sizing, oxygen-limited carbonization, sealed cooling, steam activation at high temperature, secondary combustion and flue-gas cleaning, product cooling, crushing/classification, washing only when specified, drying, adsorption testing and sealed packing. The project requires environmental approval and laboratory development before equipment purchase.
Recommended lowest-entry line configuration Do not begin with a turnkey kiln order. First run representative Afghan apricot/walnut-shell or fruit-stone trials in an independent carbon laboratory and select one feedstock and one granular adsorption grade. The lowest credible plant needs separate sealed carbonization and steam-activation control, hot-product cooling, gas afterburner, dust collection/scrubbing, water treatment where washing is used, and iodine-number, moisture, ash, hardness and particle-size testing.
Production process and implementation sequence
- Laboratory feedstock and adsorption trials
- Stone washing, drying and sizing
- Oxygen-limited carbonization
- Sealed char cooling
- Controlled steam activation
- Afterburning and flue-gas treatment
- Product sizing/washing/drying as specified
- Adsorption testing and sealed packing
Products, capacity and market fit
- Afghanistan has concentrated fruit-processing residues with potential carbon yield.
- Activated carbon has water-treatment and industrial demand but is specification-driven.
- Feedstock species and carbonization history strongly affect adsorption performance.
- High-temperature gas, dust and wastewater controls make this a regulated industrial project.
- Granular fruit-stone activated carbon - Feedstock, mesh range, iodine number or target adsorption, moisture, ash, hardness, pH and density - Water treatment or one validated industrial adsorption application
Core production machinery and line specifications
| Machine / stage | Function / value | Production note |
|---|---|---|
| Wash, dryer, crusher and screen | Prepares one fruit-stone feed | 1-3 cm kiln feed basis |
| Sealed carbonization kiln and char cooler | Produces controlled precursor char | Oxygen-limited |
| Steam activation kiln and steam system | Develops adsorption porosity | 850-950°C controlled |
| Afterburner and flue-gas treatment | Controls combustible gas and emissions | Permit basis |
| Product crusher, classifier and optional wash/dryer | Finishes one granular grade | Closed dust handling |
| Activated-carbon laboratory | Releases adsorption product | Iodine/adsorption, ash, hardness |
Raw materials, utilities and factory requirements
- One laboratory-qualified hard fruit-stone or shell feed
- Process steam and approved fuel for activation start-up
- Water and treatment chemicals only for specified washing route
- Moisture-barrier sacks, liners and labels
- Stable three-phase electricity with verified connected load
- Guarded machinery, lockout, ventilation and fire protection
- Covered segregated raw-material and finished-goods storage
- Maintenance tools, safe lifting and critical spare parts
- Continuous high-temperature process supervision and emergency cooling
- Engineered afterburner, stack monitoring, dust/scrubber and wastewater systems
Indicative low-entry investment and implementation plan
These planning ranges prioritize economical machinery, local labor and local civil works. Final pricing follows confirmed capacity, product specification, delivery terms and site conditions.
| Scope | Indicative range | Entry-plan note |
|---|---|---|
| Feed preparation and carbonization section | US$180k-420k | One validated feed |
| Activation, steam and hot-product cooling | US$220k-520k | One granular grade |
| Gas treatment, dust/water controls and laboratory | US$160k-430k | Permit and release basis |
| Freight, refractory, installation and spares | US$140k-330k | Thermal commissioning |
| Indicative installed project total | US$700k-1.70m | Land, building, utilities extension and working stock excluded |
Detailed proposal and next step
The proposal contains the complete line flow, machinery scope, raw-material and utility requirements, implementation stages and indicative entry planning. Final configuration follows confirmed products, capacity, site and budget.