• Journal of Energy Engineering
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.309-314
• /
• 2012

Carbons derived by the pyrolysis of Sorona activated by $ZnCl_2$ in the ratio of 1:20 and non-porogen Sorona carbons are used as the electrode materials in asymmetric electrochemical supercapacitors and electrochemical behavior is investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals the porogen free carbons show a flake-like structure and the $ZnCl_2$-treated Sorona carbons have a loose, disjoint structure without any particular shape. Cyclic voltammetric (CV) studies show specific prolate rectangular shape and gives good capacitive properties.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.224-234
• /
• 2010

Four activated carbons were produced by two-stage process as followings; semi-carbonization of indigenous biomass waste, i.e. cotton stalks, followed by chemical activation with KOH under various activation temperatures and chemical ratios of KOH to semi-carbonized cotton stalks (CCS). The surface area, total pore volume and average pore diameter were evaluated by $N_2$-adsorption at 77 K. The surface morphology and oxygen functional groups were determined by SEM and FTIR, respectively. Batch equilibrium and kinetic studies were carried out by using a basic dye, methylene blue as a probe molecule to evaluate the adsorption capacity and mechanism over the produced carbons. The obtained activated carbon (CCS-1K800) exhibited highly microporous structure with high surface area of 950 $m^2/g$, total pore volume of 0.423 $cm^3/g$ and average pore diameter of 17.8 ${\AA}$. The isotherm data fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm with monolayer adsorption capacity of 222 mg/g for CCS-1K800. The kinetic data obtained at different concentrations were analyzed using a pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion equations. The pseudo-second-order model fitted better for kinetic removal of MB dye. The results indicate that such laboratory carbons could be employed as low cost alternative to commercial carbons in wastewater treatment.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.95-100
• /
• 2007

A series of activated carbons (ACs) were derived from sugarcane bagasse under two activation schemes: steam-pyrolysis at $600-800^{\circ}C$ and chemical activation with $H_3PO_4$ at $500^{\circ}C$. Some carbons were treated at 400, $600^{\circ}C$, or for 1-3 h, and/or in flowing air during pyrolysis of acid-impregnated mass. XRD profiles displayed two broad diffuse bands centered around $2{\theta}=23$ and $43^{\circ}$, currently associated with diffraction from the 002 and 100/101 set of planes in graphite, respectively. These correspond to the interlayer spacing, Lc, and microcrystallite lateral dimensions, La, of the turbostratic (fully disordered) graphene layers. Steam pyrolysis-activated carbons exhibit only the two mentioned broad bands with enhancement in number of layers, with temperature, and small decrease in microcrystallite diameter, La. XRD patterns of $H_3PO_4$-ACs display more developed and separated peaks in the early region with maxima at $2{\theta}=23$, 26 and $29^{\circ}$, possibly ascribed to fragmented microcrystallites (or partially organized structures). Diffraction within the $2{\theta}=43^{\circ}$ is still broad although depressed and diffuse, suggesting that the intragraphitic layers are less developed. Varying the conditions of chemical activation inflicts insignificant structural alterations. Circulating air during pyrolysis leads to enhancement of the basic graphitic structure with destruction and degradation in the lateral dimensions.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.551-555
• /
• 2012

Desorption reaction characteristics of the commercial activated carbons which were used for the removal of industrial odorants were investigated. BET specific surface area was analyzed to investigate the chemicophysical property of activated carbon. Adsorptivity of activated carbon was estimated by iodine number. Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) was used to investigate the desorption characteristics. Activation energies and reaction orders for reaction characteristics according to adsorption and desorption of activated carbons were estimated by employing the Friedman method and Freeman-Carroll method. Adsorptivity of reprocessed activated carbons were significantly lower than that of fresh activated carbons. In this study, it was found that the activation energies were 15.9~23.4 kJ/mol in Friedman method and 22.7~33.8 kJ/mol in Freeman-Carroll method.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.85-89
• /
• 2011

Coloured wastewater is released as a direct result of the production of dyes as well as from various other chemical industries. Many dyes and their breakdown products may be toxic for living organisms. Activated carbon is one of the best materials for removal of dyes from aqueous solutions. The present study describes the adsorption behaviour of methylene blue dye on three microporous activated carbons, where two samples (AC-1 and AC-2) were prepared by a polymer blend technique and the other is a microporous activated carbon (ARY-3) sample from viscose rayon yarn prepared by chemical-physical activation. The effects of contact time and activated carbon dosage on decolourisation capacity have been studied. The results show that activated carbon having mixed microporosity and mesoporosity show tremendous decolourisation capacity for methylene blue. In addition, the activated carbon in the powder form prepared by the polymer blend technique shows better decolourisation capacity for methylene blue than the activated rayon yarn sample.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2006

A model describing the distributions of surfactants and HOCs (hydrophobic organic chemicals) in surfactant/HOC/activated carbon systems for surfactant reuse in soil washing process was developed. The model simulation was conducted for the evaluation of the effect of concentrations of surfactant, HOC, or activated carbons. Phenanthrene as a target HOC, Triton X-100 as surfactant and three granular activated carbons with different particle sizes (4-12, 12-20, and 20-40 mesh) were used in the model simulation. The distributions of HOC were significantly affected by surfactant dosages, especially at around the CMC(s). The results of selectivities for phenanthrene were much larger than 1 at various concentrations of surfactants, phenanthrene and activated carbons, which mean that the selective adsorption of phenanthrene by activated carbons is a proper separation method from surfactant solution. The model can be applied for the design of the surfactant reuse process using activated carbons without extra experimental efforts.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.24 no.11
• /
• pp.1463-1471
• /
• 2015

The surface modified activated carbons (SMACs) were prepared with various $P_2O_5$ concentrations using two activated carbons (ACs: waste citrus peel-based activated carbon and coconut-based activated carbon). The characteristics and adsorptivity of bisphenol A (one of phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals) were compared between ACs and SMACs. The contents of C, H and N of SMACs were similar to those of ACs, but the content of $P_2O_5$ for the former increased greatly than for the latter, due to the impregnation of $P_2O_5$ into the pores. The specific surface area, total pore volume, average pore diameter and iodine adsorptivity for the former decreased due to the impregnation of $P_2O_5$ into the pores, compared to those for the latter. The adsorptivity of bisphenol A for the former were higher than that for the latter, although specific surface area, total pore volume, average pore diameter and iodine adsorptivity for the former were lower than those for the latter.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.34-41
• /
• 2006

The objective of this paper is to compare the variation of surface properties by hydrochloric acid pre-treatment and of metallic potassium and their salts loading effect for activated carbon after surfaces transformation by acid. From the results of nitrogen adsorption, each isotherm shows a distinct knee band, which is closely related to the characteristic of microporous carbons with capillary condensation in micropores. In order to present the causes of the differences in surface properties and $S_{BET}$ after the samples were treated with hydrochloric acid, pore structure and surface morphology are investigated by adsorption analysis. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate that activated carbons show better performance for metallic potassium and potassium salts by pre-treatment with hydrochloric acid. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) pictures of potassium/activated carbon particles provide information about the homogeneous distribution of metal or metal complex on the surface. For the chemical composition microanalysis for potassium treatment of the activated carbon pre-treated with hydrochloric acid, samples were analyzed by energy disperse X-ray (EDX). Finally, the type and quality of oxygen groups are determined from the method proposed by Boehm. A positive influence of the acidic groups on the carbon surface by acid treatment is also demonstrated by an increase in the contents of potassium salts with increasing of acidic groups calculated from Boehm titration.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.26 no.12
• /
• pp.726-732
• /
• 2016

In this study, we used activated carbon(AC) as a carbon source, along with zeolite, to prepare spherical carbons using sucrose, starch and phenolic resin(PR) as binder material. The physicochemical characteristics of the three samples(AZ4P, AZ6P and AZ8P) were examined by BET, XRD, SEM, EDX, $H_2S/NH_3$ gas adsorption, compressive strength and ignition test techniques. Through comparative analysis of the compressive strength and ignition test results the AZ8P sample was found to have the best hardness and the highest temperature resistance capacity. After activation, the AZ8P sample had the best $H_2S$ adsorption capacity, and AZ6P was the most suitable for the adsorption of ammonia.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.221-224
• /
• 2009

In this work, the $CO_2$ adsorption behaviors of amine functionalized activated carbons (ACs) were investigated. The surface of ACs was modified with urea, melamine, diethylenetriamine (DETA), pentaethylenehexamine (PEHA), polyethylenimine (PEI), and 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (ATPS). The various surface properties of amine functionalized ACs were characterized by Boehm's method, nitrogen full isotherms, XPS, and TGA analyses. The active ingredients impregnated on the ACs show significant influence on the adsorption for $CO_2$ and its volumes adsorbed on amine functionalized ACs are larger than that on the pristine ACs, which is due to the grafted amine groups of the AC surfaces.