Bituminous coal was activated by using steam at 750degreesC in a furnace. The activated carbon (AC) particles were chemically treated with thiophosphoric and amine type extractants, then characterized and tested for precious metal selectivity in chloride media. The adsorption of anions [PtCl43-, PdCl42-] or cations [PtCl+, PdCl(H2O)(3+), Ni(H2O)(+), Cu2+]on the carbon surface was elucidated by means of complexation and physical adsorption models. Owing to electrostatic repulsion in acidic media (>1 M HCl), the thio- and amine-treated bituminous ACs did not react with copper and nickel cations. The adsorption rate constant for platinum showed a dependence on solution pH and extractant dosage on the surface of the carbon and was of the order 10(-2) min(-1). A three-parameter Toth isotherm best described the adsorption data for single component solutions. Furthermore, platinum adsorption was described by pseudo first order kinetics neglecting the intraparticle diffusivity.