Steam-activated carbons from a bituminous coal in a continuous multistage fluidized bed pilot plant

A vertical three-stage fluidized bed pilot plant, with downcomers, was designed and built in order to study the continuous process of the production of activated carbons from a high-volatile bituminous coal from the Puertollano basin (Spain), by steam activation. The pilot plant can operate with a production of up to 40 kg per day. Very good activated carbons were produced at the selected operating conditions. The effect of the following operating conditions on the reactivity and adsorption characteristics of the activated carbons was analyzed: (1) carbonization conditions (one- and two-step activation), (2) activation temperature (800–850 °C), and (3) steam gas velocity (1.5–3 times the minimum fluidization velocity). Carbonization conditions considerably affect the reactivity of the chars obtained; the faster the carbonization process, the higher the reactivity. Nevertheless, the effect of this variable on the development of porosity is not very relevant, and consequently the direct activation process is an attractive alternative to the two-step (carbonization and activation) process. On the other hand, both temperature and steam flow rate (affecting the reaction rate) have a marked effect on the development of porosity.