Effect of surface modification of activated carbon on its adsorption capacity for NH3

To investigate the effects of carbon surface characteristics on NH3 adsorption, coal-based and coconut shell activated carbons were modified by treatment with oxidants. The surface properties of the carbons were characterized by low temperature nitrogen sorption, by Boehm's titrations and by XPS techniques. NH3 adsorption isotherms of the original and the modified carbons were determined. The results show that the carbons were oxidized by HNO3 and (NH4)2S2O8, and that there was an increase in oxygen containing functional groups on the surface. However, the pore-size distribution of the coal-based carbons was changed after KMnO4 treatment. It was found that the NH3 adsorption capacity of the modified carbons was enhanced and that the most pronounced enhancement results from (NH4)2S2O8 oxidation. Under our experimental conditions, the capacity is positively corrected to the number of surface functional groups containing oxygen, and to the number of micro-pores. Furthermore, an empirical model of the relationship between NH3 adsorption and multiple factors on the carbon surface was fit using a complex regression method.