Physical and chemical properties and adsorption type of activated carbon prepared from plum kernels by NaOH activation

Activated carbon was prepared from plum kernels by NaOH activation at six different NaOH/char ratios. The physical properties including the BET surface area, the total pore volume, the micropore ratio, the pore diameter, the burn-off, and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation as well as the chemical properties, namely elemental analysis and temperature programmed desorption (TPD), were measured. The results revealed a two-stage activation process: stage 1 activated carbons were obtained at NaOH/char ratios of 0-1, surface pyrolysis being the main reaction; stage 2 activated carbons were obtained at NaOH/char ratios of 2-4, etching and swelling being the main reactions. The physical properties of stage 2 activated carbons were similar, and specific area was from 1478 to 1887m(2)g(-1). The results of reaction mechanism of NaOH activation revealed that it was apparently because of the loss ratio of elements C, H, and O in the activated carbon, and the variations in the surface functional groups and the physical properties. The adsorption of the above activated carbons on phenol and three kinds of dyes (MB, BB1, and AB74) were used for an isotherm equilibrium adsorption study. The data fitted the Langmuir isotherm equation. Various kinds of adsorbents showed different adsorption types; separation factor (R(L)) was used to determine the level of favorability of the adsorption type. In this work, activated carbons prepared by NaOH activation were evaluated in terms of their physical properties, chemical properties, and adsorption type; and activated carbon PKN2 was found to have most application potential.     

Particle size effect of raw material on the pore structure of carbon support and its adsorption capability

In this study, a series of activated carbons were prepared from Tuncbilek lignite with different particle size by chemical activation. The effect of particle size of lignite on the pore structure of activated carbon and the adsorption kinetics of crystal violet (CV) onto these activated carbons was investigated. BET surface area values of activated carbon samples were determined in the range of 940–1054 m² g^?1. Adsorption capacity of CV onto activated carbons was investigated in a batch system by considering the effects of various parameters such as initial dye concentration, agitation time and adsorption temperature. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to describe the adsorption equilibrium studies. The adsorption kinetics of CV has been discussed using the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models. Results show that the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation could describe the adsorption kinetics for CV onto activated carbons. Using the thermodynamic equilibrium coefficient obtained at different temperatures and for the initial dye, the thermodynamic constants of adsorption (ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS°) were also evaluated.     

Preparation and CO_2 adsorption properties of porous carbon by hydrothermal carbonization of tree leaves

Porous carbon materials were prepared by hydrothermal carbonization(HTC) and KOH activation of camphor leaves and camellia leaves. The morphology, pore structure, chemical properties and CO_2 capture ability of the porous carbon prepared from the two leaves were compared. The effect of HTC temperature on the structure and CO_2 adsorption properties was especially investigated. It was found that HTC temperature had a major effect on the structure of the product and the ability to capture CO_2. The porous carbon materials prepared from camellia leaves at the HTC temperature of 240℃ had the highest proportion of microporous structure, the largest specific surface area(up to 1823.77 m~2/g) and the maximum CO_2 adsorption capacity of 8.30 mmol/g at 25℃ under 0.4 MPa. For all prepared porous carbons, simulation results of isothermal adsorption model showed that Langmuir isotherm model described the adsorption equilibrium data better than Freundlich isotherm model. For porous carbons prepared from camphor leaves, pseudo-first order kinetic model was well fitted with the experimental data. However,for porous carbons prepared from camellia leaves, both pseudo-first and pseudo-second order kinetics model adsorption behaviors were present. The porous carbon materials prepared from tree leaves provided a feasible option for CO_2 capture with low cost, environmental friendship and high capture capability.     

One-pot synthetic method to prepare highly N-doped nanoporous carbons for CO2 adsorption

A one-pot synthetic method was used for the preparation of nanoporous carbon containing nitrogen from polypyrrole (PPY) using NaOH as the activated agent. The activation process was carried out under set conditions (NaOH/PPY = 2 and NaOH/PPY = 4) at different temperatures in 600–900 °C for 2 h. The effect of the activation conditions on the pore structure, surface functional groups and CO₂ adsorption capacities of the prepared N-doped activated carbons was examined. The carbon was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2/77 K full isotherms, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The CO₂ adsorption capacity of the N-doped activated carbon was measured at 298 K and 1 bar. By dissolving the activation agents, the N-doped activated carbon exhibited high specific surface areas (755–2169 m² g⁻¹) and high pore volumes (0.394–1.591 cm³ g⁻¹). In addition, the N-doped activated carbons contained a high N content at lower activation temperatures (7.05 wt.%). The N-doped activated carbons showed a very high CO₂ adsorption capacity of 177 mg g⁻¹ at 298 K and 1 bar. The CO₂ adsorption capacity was found to be dependent on the microporosity and N contents.     

以石油渣油为原料制备多孔炭

以石油渣油为原料,分别采取传统的水蒸气活化和类模板法制备多孔炭材料,并采用氮吸附、XRD和SEM等分析手段对得到的多孔炭进行了表征。结果表明,水蒸气活化制备的多孔炭以微孔为主,且随着活化时间的增加,比表面积增大,炭收率减小。而类模板法制备的多孔炭以中孔为主,且随着MgO/渣油配比值的增加,其比表面积随之增大,炭收率变化不大。     

Adsorption of naphthalene from aqueous solution on activated carbons obtained from bean pods

The preparation of activated carbons from bean pods waste by chemical (K(2)CO(3)) and physical (water vapor) activation was investigated. The carbon prepared by chemical activation presented a more developed porous structure (surface area 1580 m(2) g(-1) and pore volume 0.809 cm(3) g(-1)) than the one obtained by water vapor activation (258 m(2) g(-1) and 0.206 cm(3) g(-1)). These carbons were explored as adsorbents for the adsorption of naphthalene from water solutions at low concentration and room temperature and their properties are compared with those of commercial activated carbons. Naphthalene adsorption on the carbons obtained from agricultural waste was stronger than that of carbon adsorbents reported in the literature. This seems to be due to the presence of large amounts of basic groups on the bean-pod-based carbons. The adsorption capacity evaluated from Freundlich equation was found to depend on both the textural and chemical properties of the carbons. Naphthalene uptake on biomass-derived carbons was 300 and 85 mg g(-1) for the carbon prepared by chemical and physical activation, respectively. Moreover, when the uptake is normalized per unit area of adsorbent, the least porous carbon displays enhanced naphthalene removal. The results suggest an important role of the carbon composition including mineral matter in naphthalene retention. This issue remains under investigation.     

利用核桃壳制备高比表面积活性炭电极材料的研究

以核桃壳为原料,采用KOH活化法制备活性炭,并将其用作超级电容器电极材料。利用N2吸附和扫描电镜(SEM)表征活性炭的孔结构及表面形貌,系统研究碱炭比(KOH与核桃壳炭化料的质量比)对活性炭孔结构的影响,并采用恒流充放电及循环伏安等测定核桃壳活性炭电极材料在3mol/L KOH电解液中的电化学性能。结果表明,随着碱炭比的增大,活性炭的比表面积、总孔容及中孔比例先逐渐增大后稍有减小。当活化温度为800℃,活化时间为1h,碱炭比为4时,可制备出比表面积为2404m2/g,总孔容为1.344cm3/g,中孔比例为28.6%,孔径分布在0.7~3.0nm之间的高比表面积活性炭。该活性炭用作超级电容器电极材料具有良好的大电流放电特性和优异的循环性能,电流密度由50mA/g提高到5000mA/g时,其比电容由340F/g降低到288F/g,经1000次循环后,比电容保持率为93.4%。     

预炭化对KOH活化石油焦的结构及电容性能的影响

以不同温度炭化的石油焦为原料、KOH为活化剂制备电化学电容器用炭电极材料. 采用XRD、TEM和N₂吸附法对前驱体及活化产物的结构进行了表征, 并考察了样品的电化学性能. 结果表明: 通过调整前驱体的预炭化温度, 可实现对石油焦基活性炭的微晶结构和孔结构的调控, 分别制得无晶体特性的高比表面积活性炭和由大量类石墨微晶构成的低比表面积活性炭. 低表面积活性炭依靠充电过程中电解质离子嵌入类石墨微晶层间而实现能量存储, 具有比高比面积活性炭高10倍的面积比电容和更大的体积比电容.     

Ordered Mesoporous Carbons

Ordered mesoporous carbons have recently been synthesized using ordered mesoporous silica templates. The synthesis procedure involves infiltration of the pores of the template with appropriate carbon precursor, its carbonization, and subsequent template removal. The template needs to exhibit three‐dimensional pore structure in order to be suitable for the ordered mesoporous carbon synthesis, otherwise disordered microporous carbon is formed. MCM‐48, SBA‐1, and SBA‐15 silicas were successfully used to synthesize carbons with cubic or hexagonal frameworks, narrow mesopore size distributions, high nitrogen Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface areas (up to 1800 m² g^–1), and large pore volumes. Ordered mesoporous carbons are promising in many applications, including adsorption of large molecules, chromatography, and manufacturing of electrochemical double‐layer capacitors.     

Bimodal activated carbons derived from resorcinol-formaldehyde cryogels

Abstract

Resorcinol-formaldehyde cryogels prepared at different dilution ratios have been activated with phosphoric acid at 450 °C and compared with their carbonaceous counterparts obtained by pyrolysis at 900 °C. Whereas the latter were, as expected, highly mesoporous carbons, the former cryogels had very different pore textures. Highly diluted cryogels allowed preparation of microporous materials with high surface areas, but activation of initially dense cryogels led to almost non-porous carbons, with much lower surface areas than those obtained by pyrolysis. The optimal acid concentration for activation, corresponding to stoichiometry between molecules of acid and hydroxyl groups, was 2 M l^?1, and the acid–cryogel contact time also had an optimal value. Such optimization allowed us to achieve surface areas and micropore volumes among the highest ever obtained by activation with H₃PO₄, close to 2200 m² g^?1 and 0.7 cm³ g^?1, respectively. Activation of diluted cryogels with a lower acid concentration of 1.2 M l^?1 led to authentic bimodal activated carbons, having a surface area as high as 1780 m² g^?1 and 0.6 cm³ g^?1 of microporous volume easily accessible through a widely developed macroporosity.     

Adsorption characteristics of activated carbon prepared from spent ground coffee

This paper reports results of a research project which attempts to produce low-cost activated carbon from agro-residue wastes. The ground coffee residue which is a by-product of coffee making was collected from coffee shops, prepared, and converted to activated carbon by a chemical activation method. The objective of this work is to investigate the effects of preparation conditions on properties of the activated carbon obtained. The preparation condition is defined by pyrolysis rate, concentration of ZnCl₂, impregnation time, and carbonization temperature. The pyrolysis rate was fixed at 10 °C min^?1 for 4 h with three concentrations of ZnCl₂ (5, 10, and 15 wt%), three durations of impregnation time (8, 12, and 24 h), and three carbonization temperatures (400, 450, and 500 °C). The morphology and specific surface area were, respectively, determined using SEM and BET techniques. It was found in this study that the activated carbon with the best properties was obtained at the preparation condition given by 15 wt% of ZnCl₂, impregnation time of 24 h, and 500 °C carbonization temperature. On average, the activated carbon had a pore diameter of 0.61 nm, specific surface area of 831 m² g^?1, and a total pore volume of 0.44 cm³ g^?1. It was also found that the adsorption isotherm of Cu (II) fitted well with Freundlich isotherm.     

Effect of activated carbons modification on porosity, surface structure and phenol adsorption

The primary objective of this work was the examination of modified activated carbons with tailored adsorption capacity properties. Production of activated carbons with desired properties was accomplished by modification of surface functional groups and introduction of acidic/basic properties. Modification of an activated carbon was performed using partial oxygen gasification, nitric acid treatment, urea impregnation followed by pyrolysis and pyrolysis in a urea saturated stream. The surface properties of the produced samples were estimated by the multibasic titration method of Boehm and by the CO/CO2 gas evolution profiles, while pore structure development was measured by the N2 and CO2 gas adsorption isotherms. Oxygen gasification resulted in samples with surface area slightly lower that the raw activated carbon; the introduction of surface functional groups depended upon the severity of the treatment: carbonylic and phenolic type groups were introduced in all partially gasified samples, while low temperatures and short reaction times enhanced the basic character of the carbon. However, nitric acid treatment resulted in the introduction of high nitrogen amounts in the samples, the reduction of surface area and the development of a surface containing carboxylic, lactonic, phenolic and carbonylic groups with negligible HCl neutralization capacity. Treatment of activated carbon by urea supported the formation of basic groups and carbonyls. The presence of surface functional groups affected the adsorption capacity of the produced samples for the removal of specific pollutants such as phenols. Urea treated samples with a basic character and high nitrogen content presented the highest phenol uptake capacity; nitric acid treated carbons and oxygen gasified samples presented an acidic surface functionality and a low phenol adsorption capacity. The beneficial role of nitrogen on phenol adsorption was attributed to adsorbate-adsorbent interactions.     

Bamboo-like,oxygen-doped carbon tubes with hierarchical pore structure derived from polymer tubes for supercapacitor applications

In this paper, bamboo-like, O-doped carbon tubes with hierarchical pore structure have been fabricated by the direct pyrolysis of dual cross-linked polydivinylbenzene (PDVB) tubes. The bamboo-like, cross-linked PDVB tubes are firstly synthesized by cationic polymerization of divinylbenzene in cyclohexane using BF₃/Et₂O complex as the initiator. After a secondary cross-linking being imposed by Friedel–Crafts reaction in CCl₄ using anhydrous AlCl₃ as the catalyst, the obtained dual cross-linked, carboxylic acid functionalized PDVB tubes are directly subjected to pyrolysis, yielding bamboo-like, O-doped porous carbons. The resultant O-doped porous carbon tubes (BCTF-900, pyrolyzed at 900 °C) exhibit a trimodal pore structure (micro-, meso-, and macropores) with a relatively high specific surface area of 595 m² g^?1 and a low total pore volume of 0.37 cm³ g^?1. Such bamboo-like carbon tubes display good volumetric capacitive performance (254 F cm^?3 at 0.5 A g^?1), moderate volumetric energy density (12.9 Wh L^?1 at 428 W L^?1), and excellent cycling stability (the capacitance retention has remained at 96.9% after 10000 cycles at 2 A g^?1). Due to their unique bamboo-like architecture and trimodal pore structure, the PDVB-derived carbon tubes should have widely application prospect.     

Preparation of a pitch-based activated carbon with a high specific surface area

Pitch based activated carbons (PAC) with a high specific surface area were produced by a direct chemical activation route in which oxidative stabilized pitch derived from ethylene tar oil was reacted with potassium hydroxide under various activation conditions. It was found that PACs with a surface area of around 2600–3600 m² g^-1 could be obtained under suitable activation conditions. N₂ adsorption (at 77 K) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments showed that the PAC has a uniformly developed micropore structure and a narrow pore size distribution (radius 0.8–1.6 nm). Abundant oxygen-containing functional groups (such as C–OH, C–O–C, C=O, COOR etc.) were found to exist on its surface. Compared with a commercially available activated carbon (AC) and also a pitch based activated carbon fibre, PAC has a quicker adsorption–desorption velocity and a larger adsorptive capacity to benzene due to its higher surface area. Clear surface differences between PAC and AC were observed by transmission electron microscopy. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Removal of organic dyes using Cr-containing activated carbon prepared from leather waste

In this work, hydrogen peroxide decomposition and oxidation of organics in aqueous medium were studied in the presence of activated carbon prepared from wet blue leather waste. The wet blue leather waste, after controlled pyrolysis under CO₂ flow, was transformed into chromium-containing activated carbons. The carbon with Cr showed high microporous surface area (up to 889 m² g⁻¹). Moreover, the obtained carbon was impregnated with nanoparticles of chromium oxide from the wet blue leather. The chromium oxide was nanodispersed on the activated carbon, and the particle size increased with the activation time. It is proposed that these chromium species on the carbon can activate H₂O₂ to generate HO radicals, which can lead to two competitive reactions, i.e. the hydrogen peroxide decomposition or the oxidation of organics in water. In fact, in this work we observed that activated carbon obtained from leather waste presented high removal of methylene blue dye combining the adsorption and oxidation processes.     

Fungi‐Enabled Synthesis of Ultrahigh‐Surface‐Area Porous Carbon

The growth of white‐rot fungi is related to the superior infiltrability and biodegradability of hyphae on a lignocellulosic substrate. The superior biodegradability of fungi toward plant substrates affords tailored microstructures, which benefits subsequently high efficient carbonization and chemical activation. Here, the mechanism underlying the direct growth of mushrooms toward the lignocellulosic substrate is elucidated and a fungi‐enabled method for the preparation of porous carbons with ultrahigh specific surface area (3439 m² g^?1) is developed. Such porous carbons could have potential applications in energy storage, environment treatment, and electrocatalysis. The present study reveals a novel pore formation mechanism in root‐colonizing fungi and anticipates a valuable function for fungi in developing the useful porous carbons with a high specific surface area.     

Removal of lead (II) and nickel (II) ions from aqueous solution using activated carbon prepared from rapeseed oil cake by Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>CO<Subscript>3</Subscript> activation

In this study, rapeseed oil cake as a precursor was used to prepare activated carbons by chemical activation with sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) at 600 and 800 °C. The activated carbon with the highest surface area of 850 m² g^?1 was produced at 800 °C. The prepared activated carbons were mainly microporous. The activated carbon having the highest surface area was used as an adsorbent for the removal of lead (II) and nickel (II) ions from aqueous solutions. The effects of pH, contact time, and initial ion concentration on the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon were investigated. The kinetic data of adsorption process were studied using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order kinetic models and intraparticle diffusion model. The experimental data were well adapted to the pseudo-second-order model for both tested ions. The adsorption data for both ions were well correlated with Langmuir isotherm. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacities of the activated carbon for the removal of lead (II) and nickel (II) ions were determined as 129.87 and 133.33 mg g^?1, respectively.     

Bimodal cellular activated carbons derived from tannins

New cellular activated carbons mainly derived from tannins and furfuryl alcohol are introduced and suggested as adsorbents and catalyst supports. They present a bimodal porosity, based on a highly porous, reticulated vitreous carbon backbone, whose micro/meso-porosity was developed by steam activation. The macroporosity corresponds to the connected network of cells whose average diameter is close to 250 μm. In contrast, the micro/meso-porosity is located at the inner surface of the cells and is thus fully and easily accessible. Consequently, much higher adsorption kinetics than for usual granular activated carbons are expected. A burn-off close to 30% was shown to be optimal for getting a high proportion of microporosity without complete loss of mechanical resistance. In these conditions, the surface area is close to 850 m² g⁻¹, thus similar to that of many commercial carbonaceous adsorbents.     

Pore structure and swelling character of porous carbon beads prepared from esterified silica gels

Porous carbon beads have been prepared by a replica method using five silica gels with surface areas ranging from 70 to 765 m² g^–1. The replica method consists of esterification of silica gel with 4-phenyl-1,2-dihyroxybenzene, pyrolysis of the esterified silica gel, dissolution of the silica gel, and drying of the porous carbon from water or, in some cases, from benzene. Porous carbon beads, at maximum, shrank to about 33% of the size of silica gel beads used as a substrate during drying in the preparation. The extent of shrinkage was increased with decreasing surface area of the silica gels. The porous carbons prepared from different silica gels showed a similar pore size distribution, although the distribution became somewhat broader when a silica gel with a small surface area was used. The percentage of expansion of porous carbon beads on adsorbing benzene varied to some extent with the kind of silica gel, and the porous carbon prepared from the silica gel with the surface area of 470 m² g^–1 showed a maximum expansion, 31%. Porous carbon beads dried from benzene showed about 10% higher percentages of expansion on average compared with that from water. Furthermore, in the carbon beads from benzene, a small number of carbon beads showed enormously large expansion, and the expansion was found to be related to the extent of shrinkage during drying in the preparation.     

原料粒度对石油焦基活性炭性能的影响

以不同粒度范围的石油焦为原料,KOH为活化剂,采用化学活化工艺制备了超级电容器用活性炭电极材料.采用N2吸附法表征了活性炭材料的BET比表面积及孔结构;在1mol/L的Et4NBF4/AN有机电解液体系下组装成模拟电容器,并考察了活性炭材料的电化学性能.结果表明:随着原料粒度的减小,活性炭的振实密度和收率先增大,然后再减小.原料粒度范围越窄,活性炭具有越小的BET比表面积和孔容.在1mol/L的Et4NBF4/AN电解液体系下,随着石油焦粒度的不断减小,活性炭材料的质量比容量不断增大,在粒度<38μm时取得最大值140F/g.粒度为38～44μm的石油焦制备出的活性炭在1A/g电流下质量比容量为126.6F/g,在20A/g电流下质量比容量为116.2F/g,容量衰减只有8.2%,表现出良好的功率特性.