Optimal methods to determine the physical parameters for activated carbon adsorption

The objectives of this research were to examine the physical characteristics of activated carbons made of different materials, thereby suggest a preferable approach to obtaining the optimal estimation of the parameters for the activated carbons by the statistical techniques. After the appropriate pretreatments, the apparent and true densities of activated carbon, adsorption isotherms of argon, nitrogen and mercury, and the adsorptive capacity of benzene were determined by using the recommended approaches. The results showed that the shapes of hysteresis loop indicated that the pores were probably slit‐shaped or formed by plate‐like particles, which could be confirmed by the SEM examination. It was noted that the apparent density used for pore volume calculation presented a higher possibility of underestimation. Through the use of the statistical techniques, such as factor analysis (FA) and correspondence analysis (CA), the principal physical parameters on adsorption phenomena could be characterized. Finally, the optimal methods for obtaining the surface area and pore volume of activated carbons were suggested.     

Recovery efficiency of the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC‐134a) by activated carbons of different physicochemical properties

The adsorption characteristics of 1,1,1,2‐tetrafluoroethane (HFC‐134a) on activated carbon were investigated to evaluate the recovery efficiency of HFC‐134a by six activated carbons (two granular activated carbons (GAC1 and GAC2), one high‐surface area activated carbon (HAC), and three activated carbon fibers (ACF10, ACF15, and ACF20)). HFC‐134a adsorption on the activated carbons increased with increase in the specific surface area and pore volume of the activated carbon. The differential heat of the HFC‐134a adsorption decreased with increase in the percentage of the micropore volume to the total pore volume. The adsorption model of HFC‐134a on the activated carbon could be based on the Langmuir model. The constant a of the Langmuir plot of HAC and ACF20 is smaller than GAC1 or GAC2 and ACF10 or ACF15, respectively. The constant W_s of HAC has the largest value. The constant a was correlated to the heat of adsorption. It is concluded that the largest amount of HFC‐134a was adsorbed on HAC, and the least amount of interaction occurred between HFC‐134a and the HAC. The amount of HFC‐134a adsorbed on the activated carbons over time was applied to the Sameshima equation. The adsorption rate constant of HFC‐134a on HAC was the largest. The HAC could be suitable for the recovery of HFC‐134a.     

Fabrication,characterization and evaluation of mesoporous activated carbons from agricultural waste: Jerusalem artichoke stalk as an example

This work explores the feasibility of Jerusalem artichoke stem (JAS), an agricultural waste, as an alternative precursor for fabrication of mesoporous activated carbon (MAC) via conventional ZnCl₂ activation. The as-prepared JAS-MACs were characterized by thermogravimetric, nitrogen gas adsorption isotherm and high resolution scanning electron microscopy analysis. The interacting effects of chemical dosage, activation temperature and time on the mesoporosity, mesopore volume and carbon yield were investigated, and further optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area, mesoporosity and mesopore volume of the JAS-MAC prepared under optimum condition were identified to be 1631 m²·g^-1, 90.16% and 1.11 cm³·g^-1, respectively. Compared with commercial activated carbons, this carbon exhibited a comparable monolayer adsorption capacity of 374.5 mg·g^-1 for Methylene Blue dye. The findings suggest that RSM could be an effective approach for optimizing the pore structure of fabricated activated carbons.     

改性活性炭对有机物的吸附性能

研究了表面改性对活性炭吸附各种有机物性能的影响,研究发现,硝酸氧化可显著增加活性炭表面酸性基团的含量,提高了活性炭的表面亲水性,降低pHpzc值,并造成活性炭的结构塌陷和比表面积的减少,因而对活性炭吸附水中的苯酚、苯胺、腐殖酸、氯仿、四氯化碳等有机物的性能产生明显影响,以去除水中有机污染物为目的的活性炭表面改性的方向应为：减少表面内酯基及竣基等含氧官能团的含量,增加活性炭表面的疏水性。     

改性活性炭的表面特性及其对金属离子的吸附性能

本文主要研究了改性对活性炭的表面物理化学特征和对其吸附金属离子性能的影响。研究发现,硝酸氧化可显著增加活性炭表面酸性基团的含量,提高活性炭的表面亲水性,降低pHpzc值,并造成活性炭的结构塌陷和比表面积的减少,因而对活性炭吸附性能产生明显影响,可明显提高对Pb^2 等金属离子的吸附容量。     

Suitability of various chemically prepared activated carbons for the removal of copper(II) ions

Studies on the suitability of various chemically prepared activated carbons (CPACs) like straw carbon (SC), sawdust carbon (SDC), dates nut carbon (DNC) and commercial activated carbon (CAC) for the removal of copper(II) ions by adsorption from simulated wastewater have been carried out under batch mode at 30?±?1°C and the results are compared. The percentage removal of Cu(II) ions increased with a decrease in initial concentration, particle size and added electrolytes (ionic strength) and increased with an increase in contact time, dose of adsorbent and initial pH of the solution. The adsorption data were fitted with the Langmuir isotherm. The applicability of the first order kinetic equation viz. Lagergren equation was tested by correlation analysis. The adsorption process is concluded to be a spontaneous, first order reaction, occurring with increased randomness at the solid–liquid interface. Studies on the desorption of Cu²⁺-loaded activated carbons (ACs) were carried out with nitric acid (0.2–1?N). The possibility of reuse of the regenerated ACs in cycle (in cue-one after another) was tested. SC was found to be a suitable adsorbent alternative to CAC among CPACs for the removal of metal ions, in general, and Cu²⁺ ions, in particular.     

Activated carbons and amine-modified materials for carbon dioxide capture — a review

Rapidly increasing concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere has drawn more and more attention in recent years, and adsorption has been considered as an effective technology for CO₂ capture from the anthropogenic sources. In this paper, the attractive adsorbents including activated carbons and amine-modified materials were mainly reviewed and discussed with particular attention on progress in the adsorbent preparation and CO₂ adsorption capacity. Carbon materials can be prepared from different precursors including fossil fuels, biomass and resins using the carbonization-activation or only activation process, and activated carbons prepared by KOH activation with high CO₂ adsorbed amount were reviewed in the preparation, adsorption capacity as well as the relationship between the pore characteristics and CO₂ adsorption. For the amine-modified materials, the physical impregnation and chemical graft of polyethylenimine (PEI) on the different porous materials were introduced in terms of preparation method and adsorption performance as well as their advantages and disadvantages for CO₂ adsorption. In the last section, the issues and prospect of solid adsorbents for CO₂ adsorption were summarized, and it is expected that this review will be helpful for the fundamental studies and industrial applications of activated carbons and amine-modified adsorbents for CO₂ capture.     

Iron-carbon composite microspheres prepared through a facile aerosol-based process for the simultaneous adsorption and reduction of chlorinated hydrocarbons

Iron-carbon (Fe-C) composite microspheres prepared through a facile aerosol-based process are effective remediation agents for the simultaneous adsorption and reduction of chlorinated hydrocarbons. Complete dechlorination was achieved for the class of chlorinated ethenes that include tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), cis- and trans-1,2-dicloroethylene (c-DCE, t-DCE), 1,1-dichloroethylene (1,1-DCE) and, vinyl chloride (VC). The Fe-C particles potentially provides multi-functionality with requisite characteristics of adsorption, reaction, and transport for the effective in situ remediation of chlorinated hydrocarbons. The carbon support immobilizes the ferromagnetic iron nanoparticles onto its surface, thereby inhibiting aggregation. The adsorptive nature of the carbon support prevents the release of toxic intermediates such as the dichloroethylenes and vinyl chloride. The adsorption of chlorinated ethenes on the Fe-C composites is higher (>80%) than that of humic acid (<35%) and comparable to adsorption on commercial activated carbons (>90%). The aerosol-based process is an efficient method to prepare adsorptive-reactive composite particles in the optimal size range for transport through the porous media and as effective targeted delivery agents for the in situ remediation of soil and groundwater contaminants.     

Treating n-butane by activated carbon and metal oxides

In order to reduce environmental pollution and regulatory issues, the adsorption of n-butane from vehicle exhaust is one of the necessary requirements. When active carbon was mixed with different proportions of metal oxides, the adsorption capacity of n-butane was markedly improved. Infrared spectroscopy data provided information on functional groups derived from activated carbon composite metal oxide indicating that one of the best adsorption capacities for n-butane was obtained by mixing 3 g TiO₂, 2.7 g CuO, and 2.1 g NaBO₃·4H₂O with 30 g activated carbon. However, more effective results were obtained by mixing 6 g TiO₂, 2.1 g CuO, and 0.9 g NaBO₃·4H₂O with 30 g activated carbon. Data suggest that these chemical complexes may be effective in lowering n-butane pollution.     

Adsorption of methylene blue onto activated carbon derived from periwinkle shells: kinetics and equilibrium studies

Periwinkle shell, an abundant and inexpensive natural resource, was used to prepare activated carbon by physicochemical activation with potassium hydroxide (KOH) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) as the activating agents at 850 °C for 2 h. The adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of methylene blue dye on such carbon were then examined at 25 °C. Adsorption isotherm of the methylene blue (MB) on the activated carbon was determined and correlated with common isotherm equations. The equilibrium data for methylene blue adsorption well fitted to the Langmuir equation, with maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 500.00 mg/g. Two simplified kinetic models including pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order equation were selected to follow the adsorption processes. The adsorption of methylene blue on activated carbon derived from periwinkle shell could best be described by the pseudo-second-order equation. The kinetic parameters of this best-fit model were calculated and discussed.     

硝酸改性活性炭对渗滤液中小分子有机物的吸附性能

以硝酸为改性剂,分别采用浸渍和浸渍-高温热处理方法对活性炭进行了改性.低温氮吸附结果表明,活性炭表面积和微孔体积在浸渍后都变小,再经过高温热处理后则都变大.酸碱滴定显示,改性后活性炭表面酸性都增大,其中浸渍的酸性最大.对填埋场渗滤液中小分子有机物进行了等温线和动力学吸附实验,结果发现改性后活性炭对有机物的吸附量增加;硝酸浸渍活性炭吸附速率降低,而浸渍-高温热处理则使吸附速率明显加快.针对渗滤液中小分子有机物,硝酸浸渍-高温热处理的活性炭吸附效果最好,吸附量最大,吸附速率最快.     

4种吸附剂对对氯苯酚的吸附性能

研究了常温（18℃）条件下粉末活性炭（PAC）、颗粒活性炭（GAC）、天然膨润土和天然海泡石4种吸附剂对对氯苯酚（4-CP）的静态吸附规律,考察了投加灭活活性污泥对吸附性能的影响。结果表明：4种吸附剂对4-CP的吸附符合Langmiur和Freundlich吸附等温式,且吻合良好;4种吸附剂对4-CP的饱和吸附量不同,大小顺序为：PAC〉GAC〉天然膨润土〉天然海泡石;灭活活性污泥与4种吸附剂共存时,降低了4种吸附剂对4-CP的吸附能力。     

Drinking water biotic safety of particles and bacteria attached to fines in activated carbon process

In this paper, the drinking water biotic safety of particles and bacteria attached to fines in activated carbon process was investigated by actual treatment process and advanced treatment pilot trial with granular activated carbon. In the experiment, the particles were detected by IBR particle calculating instrument, the activated carbon fines were counted on the basis of the most probable number (MPN) with a microscope, the total number of bacteria was analyzed between the conventional agar culture medium and the one with R2A, and the bacteria attached to activated carbon fines was resolved by the homogenization technique. The experimental results showed that the average total number of particles was 205 CNT/mL in the activated carbon effluent during a filter cycle, of which the number of particles with sizes > 2 μm was 77 CNT/mL more than the present particle control criterion of the American drinking water product standard (50 CNT/mL). The backwash of low density and long duration lowered particle number in the effluent. The MPN of activated carbon fines in the effluent was between 400 and 600 CNT/L, which accounted for less than 5‰ of the total particles from activated carbon filtration for a poor relative level (R ² = 0.34). The microorganisms in activated carbon effluent consisted mostly of heterotrophic bacillus and the total bacteria number was five times as high as that of the inflow, i.e. the effluent from sand filter. The actual bacteria number may be truly indicated by the detection technique with R2A culture medium compared with the traditional agar cultivation. The inactivation efficiency of bacteria attached to activated carbon fines was less than 40% under 1.1 mg/L of chlorine contacting for 40 min. Results showed that the particles and bacteria attached to activated carbon fines may influence drinking water biotic safety, and that the effective control measures need to be further investigated.     

The cadmium adsorption capacity of contaminated marine sediments from Hong Kong

The binding capacity of Cd to the sediment particles determines the potential of Cd release from the sediments. An experiment was performed to evaluate the adsorption of Cd by contaminated sediments collected from three different locations in Hong Kong, i.e. Kwun Tong, North Point and Nam Tam Wan, having different degrees of pollution. Langmuir and Freundlich equations were used to evaluate the adsorption of Cd by the sediments. Adsorption isotherms obtained from the Freudlich and Langmuir equations were generally linear and the adsorption of Cd by the sediments was significantly correlated with the adsorption maximum and binding energy constant of the Langmuir equation, and equilibrium partition constant of the Freundlich equation. All sediments had a high Cd adsorption capacity and the highly organic contaminated sediments from Kwun Tong had the highest adsorption capacity of 24,272 mg kg^‐1 at pH8. The adsorption of Cd for all sediments increased with a rise in pH of the equilibrium solution and the total organic carbon content of the sediments. Therefore, a change in the sediment chemical equilibrium is likely to reduce the binding capacity.     

Hydrogen sulfide removal by iron containing activated carbon

Activated carbon modified by impregnation with iron (III) chloride solution (Fe‐ACs) were studied to try to raise their adsorption capacity for hydrogen sulfide, a malodorous substance.

The surface area and pore volume of activated carbon were decreased by impregnation, but the amount of hydrogen sulfide adsorbed onto Fe‐AC was larger than that onto raw activated carbon (R‐AC). In particular, a large increase of the amount adsorbed onto Fe‐AC was noted at low equilibrium pressure. It was assumed that the increase of amount of hydrogen sulfide adsorbed onto Fe‐AC was due to the chemical interaction between iron (III) chloride on the pores in addition to the physical adsorption onto pores of activated carbon. Fe‐AC shows a high selectivity for hydrogen sulfide.     

磷酸活化活性炭对Cu2+的吸附特征研究

寻求廉价而高效的吸附材料为目的,研究向日葵秸杆基活性炭对铜离子的吸附性能。以向日葵秸秆为原料,经H3PO4活化制备活性炭,通过静态实验研究了其对水溶液中Cu2+的吸附特性,考察了溶液pH值、吸附温度和离子强度对吸附的影响,探讨了吸附热力学、动力学和吸附机理。结果表明:溶液pH值为5～6时活性炭对Cu2+的去除效果最好;向50 mL 170 mg·L-1的溶液中加入0.5 g活性炭,温度为45℃、吸附时间为1 h时,对Cu2+的去除率可达98.3%;Langmuir方程能更好地描述Cu2+在活性炭上的等温吸附特征,静态吸附容量可达41.03 mg·g-1;吸附过程符合拟二级动力学过程,且为吸热的化学吸附过程,膜扩散为速率控制步骤,离子交换可能在吸附过程中起了重要作用。     

Assesment of disinfection by‐products removal by ozonation coupled with adsorption

This research work was performed to evaluate ozonation and granular activated carbon adsorption processes from the view‐point of controlling the formation of disinfection by products (DBPs). Both the humic acid and raw water were first preozonated and then adsorbed on the activated carbon to assess the potency for removal of total organic carbon (TOC) and DBPs. The disinfection by‐product including THMs and HAAs, in principle, can be successfully removed through a use of the ozonation and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption processes. However, in practice dealing with the raw water, it is necessary to introduce the pilot‐plant to obtain the design and operation guidelines for the water treatment plant through the ICA (Instrumentation Control and Automation) program in our future research work.     

Removal of copper and cyanide from solution using activated carbon

The removal of copper and cyanide from aqueous solution by activated carbon has been investigated. Using a coal-based activated carbon, initial concentrations of 244 to 2441 mg/litre total cyanide combined with 61 to 610 mg/litre copper were reduced to a minimum of 3.6 mg/litre total cyanide and 0.6 mg/litre copper in the presence of a fixed initial quantity of air.Cyanide removal was, found to be augmented by the presence of copper in solution, and by the supply of additional air.It is suggested that cyanide removal is accomplished by catalytic oxidation on the carbon surfaces, and that additional cyanide is removed in the presence of copper by adsorption of cyano-cuprate complexes onto the activated carbon.     

Removal of toxic chromium(VI) from aqueous solution by activated carbon using Casuarina equisetifolia

Highly activated carbon from the seed husk of Casuarina Casuarinas equisetifolia, a worldwide famous plant, have been prepared and tested for the removal of toxic Cr(VI) from its aqueous solution. The adsorbent was investigated for influences of initial chromium concentration (75, 100, 125, and 150 mg l^-1), pH, contact time, and quantity of carbon on removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution at room temperature (25±2 °C). The adsorption kinetic of Cr(VI) was studied, and the rates of sorption were found to conform to pseudo-second-order kinetics with a good correlation (R²≥0.99). The Langmuir and Freundlich models fit the isotherm data well. Furthermore, the Gibbs free energy was obtained for each system and was found to be-5.29 kJ mol^-1 for removal of Cr(IV). The negative value of Δ G° indicates the feasibility and spontaneous nature of adsorption. The results indicate that acidic pH (1.05) supported the adsorption of Cr(IV) on activated carbon. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) on activated carbon was about 172.4 mg g^-1 at pH 1.05.     

污泥制备活性炭的活化剂及活化机制研究进展

为探讨不同活化剂对污泥活性炭结构的影响,介绍了污泥制备活性炭过程中所用物理活化剂、化学活化剂和化学物理活化剂的研究现状,分别探讨了它们的活化机制和性能.从传统活性炭制备工艺的角度,提出了污泥活性炭的研究趋势和应用前景.分析认为利用剩余污泥制备活性炭,并将其用于污水厂恶臭气体的去除是避免造成二次污染、使之资源化利用的重要...