National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of ISO 5946:2022.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee B/541, Wood based panels.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its committee manager.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication has been prepared in good faith, however no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by BSI in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of this publication. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed to the full extent permitted by the law.

This publication is provided as is, and is to be used at the recipient’s own risk.

The recipient is advised to consider seeking professional guidance with respect to its use of this publication.

This publication is not intended to constitute a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 30 November 2022.

Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.

This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 296, Bamboo and Rattan.

Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

This corrected version of ISO 5946:2022 incorporates the following corrections:

— error in the value of apparent density listed in Table 1, row 5 has been corrected.

Introduction

Activated carbon is a carbonaceous material with a complex porous structure, manufactured from materials such as coal, wood and coconut shell. It is highly valued for its various applications in the environment, industry, food, pharmaceutical, and agriculture. These applications include water treatment and filtration, air and gaseous purification, beverage, fuel storage, solvent recovery, and electroplating solutions. Bamboo is an alternative renewable source to produce activated carbons. The rapid growth and development of bamboo-based activated carbons make it necessary to establish an international standard to guide production, quality requirements, and international trade.

1 Scope

This document specifies general requirements and test methods for bamboo-based activated carbon.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 Classification according to size and shape

5 Requirements

5.1 Sensory inspection

5.2 Requirements for physical and chemical properties of bamboo-based activated carbon

6 Sampling

7 Test methods

7.1 Visual inspection

7.2 Determination of moisture content

7.3 Determination of ash content

7.4 Determination of fixed carbon

7.5 Determination of apparent density

7.6 Determination of abrasion value

7.7 Determination of iodine number

8 Marking and labelling

8.1

8.2

9 Packaging, transport and storage

9.1

9.2

Bibliography

BS ISO 5946:2022

Bamboo-based activated carbon. General specifications

Current

Published:

30 Nov 2025