NOVELTY - A carbon material activation equipment comprises an insulating container (10) filled with a electrolyte (18); a reactor (12) filled with particulate carbon material and placed in the container; an electrode (14) placed under the reactor in insulating container; and a voltage applying unit (22) for applying voltage to reactor and a counter electrode. The reactor is used as a working electrode and electrode as the counter electrode.    USE - For forming electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) useful as permanent power and energy backup source for microelectronic devices and hybrid electric vehicles.    ADVANTAGE - The carbon material activation equipment can electrically activate a particulate carbon material. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a carbon material into an electrode shape before the treatment, but the carbon material can be used as it is. Since a carbon material used for electric process does not have to be an electrode shape, it is possible to separate the activated carbon material from a reactor free from damage to the activated carbon material after the electric process. By adding a conductive material such as conductive carbon, when forming an electrode, the resistance of the electrode can be lowered. This is effective for decreasing the internal resistance of a polarizable electrode, and making the volume of the electrode small. Since an EDLC adopts an activated carbon, it shows high self discharge maintenance rate.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A carbon material activation equipment comprises an insulating container (10) filled with a electrolyte (18); a reactor (12) filled with particulate carbon material and placed in the container; an electrode (14) placed under the reactor in insulating container; and a voltage applying unit (22) for applying voltage to reactor and a counter electrode. The reactor is used as a working electrode and electrode as the counter electrode. The carbon material activation equipment further comprises a reference electrode (16) in insulating container. The voltage applying unit applies a square wave voltage or an alternating voltage. The reactor has several pores (20) which pass an electrolyte. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a carbon material activation method involving applying a voltage to working electrode and counter electrode, where reactor dipped in an electrolyte is used as the working electrode and an electrode placed under the reactor as the counter electrode; and activating a particulate carbon material contained in the reactor.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a perspective view of the carbon material activation equipment.    Insulating container (10)    Reactor (12)    Counter electrode (14)    Reference electrode (16)    Electrolyte (18)    Pores (20)    Voltage applying unit. (22)