Production of activated carbon from agricultural by‐products

The production of activated carbon from agricultural by‐products is a research field of increasing interest as it deals with the problem of the disposal of agro‐residues, at the same time producing an added‐value product that can be used in a number of environmental applications. The paper presents an overview of the latest developments in processes for the production of activated carbon from agricultural by‐products, with emphasis on the methodology applied, the effect of critical process parameters such as retention time, temperature, chemical to material ratio, as well as the adsorbing capacity of the activated carbons produced in removing select compounds from synthetic and real wastewaters. Agricultural by‐products can be a source for activated carbon production with high surface areas and high adsorption capacity. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

A comparison of adsorption characteristics of various activated carbons

The physico-chemical characteristics of activated carbons obtained from different agricultural by-products by pyrolysis in a stream of water vapor have been investigated. It was established that under the same conditions of treatment the physico-chemical and adsorption characteristics of activated carbons depend on the composition of the initial raw materials. Activated carbon obtained from apricot stones has the best properties. It is characterized by a large specific surface area and micropores volume and high iodine and methylene blue adsorption activity. The activated carbons produced from cherry stones and grape seeds are characterized by predominating meso- and macropores structure. It can be supposed this is related to the larger content of lignin in those materials.     

Adsorption of flavour esters on granular activated carbon

This article reports on the liquid phase adsorption of flavour esters onto granular activated carbon. Ethyl propionate, ethyl butyrate, and ethyl isovalerate were used as adsorbates, and Filtrasorb 400 activated carbon was chosen as the adsorbent. Sips, Toth, Unilan, and Dubinin‐Radushkevich isotherm equations which are generally used for heterogeneous adsorbents were used to fit the data. Although satisfactory in fitting the data, inconsistency in parameter values indicated these models to be inadequate. On the other hand the Dubinin‐Radushkevich model gave more consistent and meaningful parameter values and adsorption capacities. By employing the Dubinin‐Radushkevich equation, the limiting volume of the adsorbed space, which equals the accessible micropore volume, was determined, and found to correlate with the value from carbon dioxide adsorption.     

废聚苯乙烯泡沫制备颗粒活性炭

研究了以废聚苯乙烯泡沫为原料制备颗粒活性炭的工艺过程。在将聚苯乙烯炭化(600~650℃)后,采用物理活化法(水蒸气)进行了系列实验,活化时间为60 min,活化温度范围800~950℃。实验结果表明,聚苯乙烯炭化物是制备颗粒活性炭的良好原料。不定型颗粒产品灰分低于0.20%,微孔发达,碘值在1200 mg/g以上;定型活性炭比表面积在1400 m2/g以上,碘值达到1100 mg/g。     

影响大同煤生产高吸附活性炭的工艺因素

研究了炭化温度、炭化升温速度、炭化时间、活化温度、活化时间、煤炭粒度、H2 O/ C等工艺因素对大同煤生产高吸附活性炭的影响。     

粘结剂在褐煤制备粒状活性炭中的应用

考察了在褐煤半焦压块活化制备活性炭的过程中,煤焦油、废蜜糖、淀粉和纤维素四种粘结剂在成型造粒以及产品性能方面的不同作用,提出用无污染物质作为粘结剂是褐煤制备活性炭的发展方向。     

颗粒活性炭用于盐湖卤水净化脱色的研究

为降低色度对盐化工产品质量的影响,提高盐湖卤水综合利用的产品附加值,采用颗粒活性炭对盐湖卤水净化脱色.通过静态吸附实验,探讨了活性炭的用量、温度、pH对脱色率的影响.研究结果表明:每50 mL卤水加入6 g颗粒炭,在pH=2,90℃下吸附9 h,卤水脱色率达到70%.卤水自身的高离子强度和高粘度使得水分子流动性差,进而严重制约吸附效率的提高.投入大量的吸附剂和延长吸附时间亦能提高吸附效率,但成本也随之增加,在实际应用中意义不大.改善吸附工艺条件是提高吸附效率的关键所在.     

Gallic acid water ozonation using activated carbon

The ozonation of gallic acid in water in the presence of activated carbon has been studied at pH 5. Hydrogen peroxide, ketomalonic and oxalic acids were identified as by-products. The process involves two main periods of reaction. The first period, up to complete disappearance of gallic acid, during which ozonation rates are slightly improved by the presence of activated carbon. The second one, during which activated carbon plays an important role as promoter, and total mineralization of the organic content of the water is achieved. The organic matter removal is due to the sum of contributions of ozone direct reactions and adsorption during the first period and to a free radical mechanism likely involving surface reactions of ozone and hydrogen peroxide on the carbon surface during the second period. There is a third transition period where by-products concentration reach maximum values and ozonation is likely due to both direct and free radical mechanisms involving ozone and adsorption. Discussion on the mechanism and kinetics of the process is also presented both for single ozonation and activated carbon ozonation.     

A review: production of activated carbon from agricultural byproducts via conventional and microwave heating

Production of activated carbon (AC) from agricultural byproducts is a research field that has gained increased interest in recent years because of its potential for the disposal of agro‐residues. At the same time, a beneficial byproduct that can be used in a number of environmental applications is produced. This paper surveys the developments in the production processes of AC from agricultural byproducts in the past 7 years from 2005 to 2012 via conventional and microwave heating. Emphasis is placed on the applied methodology and the influences of activating conditions, such as carbonization temperature, retention time, and impregnation ratio. From the review of AC production processes, agricultural wastes produced by a chemical method with microwave heating can be a source of AC with relatively higher surface area than that produced via conventional heating. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Advanced oxidant reactivity pertaining to granular activated carbon beds for air pollution control

The Pennsylvania State University is researching an advanced oxidation system, which includes an air-phase photolytic chamber, an air/water stripping tower, and granular activated carbon (GAC) beds, for controlling volatile organic compounds (VOCs).A laboratory-scale experimental procedure has been employed that simulated certain aspects of several full-scale installations. The apparatus has been used to characterize the loading capacity and mass transfer zone of selected VOCs on coconut shell GAC. The GAC bed has then been placed in series with an ultraviolet reactor, which generates ozone and advanced oxidants in order to regenerate the loaded GAC at intensities of advanced oxidants that were higher than full-scale installations.VOC loading tests revealed that the adsorption of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) was characterized by a well-defined mass transfer zone. Upon exposure to UV/O₃, desorption and/or destruction of the MIBK and other VOCs occurred most prominently within the first inch of the GAC bed. This correlated with the penetration of advanced oxidants into the GAC bed, which also occurred most significantly in the bed's first inch. However, the amount of oxidant penetration increased with time. The removal of oxidants from air by GAC was accompanied by a decrease in mass of the GAC. The ability of oxidants to penetrate a GAC bed was altered when the bed was loaded with a VOC.     

活性炭固载酸性催化剂合成巯基乙酸异辛酯

以巯基乙酸和异辛醇为原料，采用颗粒状活性炭固载对甲苯磺酸作催化剂合成巯基乙酸异辛酯，考察了影响反应的因素。实验结果表明，酯化反应的最佳条件：n(巯基乙酸)∶n(异辛醇)=1∶1.4、催化剂用量为反应物总质量的2.5%、反应时间105 min、带水剂甲苯10 mL，产率可达95.59%。     

活性炭催化热解纤维素协同制备酚类和合成气

苯酚和合成气均为工业生产中重要的基础化工原料。以自制的活性炭为催化剂,以纤维素为原料实现了催化热解液相产物中苯酚和气相产物中CO的同时富集。实验发现,生物质灰分中的钾、热解过程中催化剂/纤维素质量比和热解温度均对气液相产物的品质有着不同程度的影响。研究表明：钾的存在不利于热解产物品质的提高。钾虽然提高了生物油中苯酚的富集度,但降低了实际产率。而热解气中CO的浓度和产率均下降。对催化热解条件的研究表明热解温度450℃,催化剂比例为1∶1时可获得最佳的热解产物。此时,生物油中酚类物质占可检测有机物相对含量的62.31%,其中苯酚为45.37%,产率为1.78%（质量）。热解气中CO的浓度和产率分别为69.21%（体积）和 169.95 ml/g,热值为12.93 MJ/m³。     

颗粒活性炭的特性参数与吸附性能的关系试验

采用活性炭进行饮用水的深度处理,选择适合原水水质的活性炭至关重要,通过6种不同颗粒活性炭特性参数的测试,对饮用水有机物的吸附试验以及吸附等温线的测定,结果表明:针对颗粒活性炭的筛选,碘值,亚甲蓝值,吸附等温线的KF及斜率1/n值均不能单独作为评价筛选活性炭优劣的指标,而应综合考虑颗粒活性炭的孔径分布与原水中有机物的相对分子质量分布相匹配等。研究还表明:碘值,亚甲蓝值,吸附等温线的KF存在一定的相关性,从颗粒活性炭的特性参数和吸附性能参数可以推测活性炭滤柱试验吸附效果。颗粒活性炭用于饮用水深度处理,能去除水中相对分子质量小的有机物,处理的水量为颗粒活性炭体积的4800倍时,对CODMn的去除率为15%左右。     

废弃粉末活性炭热解再生实验及表征分析

通过对废弃粉末活性炭（WPAC）进行热解再生实验,采用热重（TG）、红外分析（FTIR）、表面分析（BET）、X射线衍射（XRD）表征手段,分析了废弃粉末活性炭热解再生前后的比表面积、孔隙结构及再生过程中有机物分解的初步规律。同时比较了废弃粉末活性炭再生前后对亚甲基蓝（MB）的吸附性能,对WPAC热解再生效果进行了评价。实验得出的最佳热解再生条件是以氮气为载气,热解温度650℃,热解时间2h。在此再生条件下,再生炭（RPAC）的比表面积为1161.4m²/g,恢复到新鲜活性炭的94.5%;废弃粉末活性炭再生前后对亚甲基蓝的吸附等温线符合Langmuir模型,吸附容量为420.5mg/g,恢复到新鲜炭的89.6%。由此结果表明,WPAC经热解再生后表面化学性质、孔隙结构及吸附性能均得到有效恢复。     

活性炭改性对用于甲酸分解的Pd/活性炭催化剂的影响

采用磁力搅拌法和水浴振荡法制备应用于甲酸分解的Pd/活性炭(AC)催化剂,研究了活性炭载体改性和制备方法对催化剂分解甲酸性能的影响。采用恒温水浴振荡装置,在80℃水浴中进行甲酸催化分解反应,以甲酸的催化分解率评价催化剂催化活性。结果表明,以经过不同的酸、碱、盐溶液改性后的活性炭为载体采用不同方法制备的Pd/AC催化剂对甲酸的催化分解效果不同,以Na2CO3改性的活性炭为载体采用磁力搅拌法制备的催化剂活性最好,甲酸水溶液的分解率达85%以上,含甲酸的工业废水的分解率达70%。     

活性炭吸附法脱硫实验研究和工业性应用

研究了周期性水洗涤脱附对活性炭脱硫性能的影响。经过 4次吸附、脱附循环后 ,活性炭的动态吸附性能和脱附性能达到平衡。活性炭颗粒越小 ,床层穿透时间越长 ,脱硫效率越高。当进口SO2 质量分数为 3× 1 0 - 3时 ,活性炭脱硫效率达到96 %以上。工业性实验表明 ,采用水洗涤脱附 ,活性炭脱硫效率稳定。燃煤烟气工业性实验排放烟气SO2 质量分数小于 9×1 0 - 5,脱硫效率达到 93 %。     

Kinetics of removal of p-toluene sulphonic acid from concentrated solution by granular activated carbon

The removal of p-toluene sulphonic acid (p-TSA) from concentrated solution by granular activated carbon (GAC) was studied in batch experiments. The first order rate constant was found to be 5.5010 × 10^?5 s^?1 for a solution of 1000 mg dm^?3. In order to establish the rate limiting step the pore and film diffusion coefficients were calculated from the half time equations. Film diffusion was found to be rate limiting. The average value of the external mass transport rate constant was 2.91 × 10^?6 cm s^?1. The adsorption isotherm was adequately described by the Langmuir model and belongs to type ‘H’ of Giles' classification.     

活性炭颗粒载体厌氧同步去除COD和含氮污染物

以活性炭颗粒为填料构建厌氧污水处理系统。以葡萄糖作为单一碳源,当进水中葡萄糖的质量浓度为500 mg/L时,COD的去除率最高为87.9%。系统对NH4+-N和NO3--N的最高去除率分别为60.3%和95.2%;同时出水中NO2--N没有明显的积累,始终低于0.55 mg/L。这表明以活性炭为填料的厌氧污水处理系统能有效降低反硝化菌及其代谢产物对厌氧消化菌的抑制,实现COD和含氮污染物的协同、高效去除。     

Control of bio-regenerated granular activated carbon by spreadsheet modelling

The optimisation of water purification with biological activated carbon (BAC) is described. Procedures are suggested to control biofilm growth and to use bio-indicators to predict TOC (total organic carbon) and COD (chemical oxygen demand) removal efficiencies. Empty bed contact time (EBCT) was a major physical control parameter. Dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and nutrients of the influent were controlled according to the abundance of bacteria, protozoa and rotifers. Numbers of micro-organisms in BAC beds were determined. Certain genera of ciliated protozoa, representing healthy environmental conditions, were employed as biological indicators for system performance during biological regeneration of exhausted granular activated carbon (GAC). There was a strong positive correlation between the abundance of some protozoa in the liquid phase of the BAC bed and COD concentration in the effluent. Mathematical spreadsheet models were constructed to estimate COD removal efficiency of BAC filters with different loading rates, DO, pH, nutrient requirements and populations of micro-organisms. © 1998 SCI