Thermal pretreatment of willow branches impacts yield and pore development of activated carbon in subsequent activation with ZnCl_(2) via modifying cellulose structure

Development of pore structures of activated carbon(AC)from activation of biomass with ZnCl_(2) relies on content and structure of cellulose/hemicellulose in the feedstock.Thermal pretreatment of biomass could induce dehydration and/or aromatization to change the structure of cellulose/hemicellulose.This might interfere with evolution of structures of AC,which was investigated herein via thermal pretreatment of willow branch(WB)from 200 to 360℃and the subsequent activation with ZnCl_(2) at 550℃.The results showed that thermal pretreatment at 360℃(WB-360)could lead to substantial pyrolysis to form biochar,with a yield of 31.9%,accompanying with nearly complete destruction of cellulose crystals and remarkably enhanced aromatic degree.However,cellulose residual in WB-360 could still be activated to form AC-360 with specific surface area of 1837.9 m~2·g^(-1),which was lower than that in AC from activation of untreated WB(AC-blank,2077.8 m~2·g^(-1)).Nonetheless,the AC-200 from activation of WB-200 had more developed pores(2113.9 m~2·g^(-1))and superior capability for adsorption of phenol,due to increased permeability of ZnCl_(2) to the largely intact cellulose structure in WB-200.The thermal pretreatment did increase diameters of micropores of AC but reduced the overall yield of AC(26.8%for AC-blank versus 18.0%for AC-360),resulting from accelerated cracking but reduced intensity of condensation.In-situ infrared characterization of the activation showed that ZnCl_(2) mainly catalyzed dehydration,dehydrogenation,condensation,and aromatization but not cracking,suppressing the formation of derivatives of cellulose and lignin in bio-oil.The thermal pretreatment formed phenolic-OH and C=O with higher chemical innerness,which changed the reaction network in activation,shifting morphology of fibrous structures in AC-blank to“melting surface”in AC-200 or AC-280.

Microwave photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B using TiO_2 supported on activated carbon:Mechanism implication

The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B （RhB） was carried out using TiO2 supported on activated carbon （TiO2-AC） under microwave irradiation. Composite catalyst TiO2-AC was prepared and characterized using X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller （BET）. In the process of microwave-enhanced photocatalysis （MPC）, RhB （30 mg/L） was almost completely decoloured in 10 min, and the mineralization efficiency was 96.0% in 20 min. The reaction rate constant of RhB in MPC using TiO2-AC by pseudo first-order reaction kinetics was 4.16 times of that using Degussa P25. Additionally, according to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry （GC/MS） and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry （LC/MS） identification, the major intermediates of RhB in MPC included two kinds of N-de-ethylation intermediates （N,N-diethyl-N＇-ethyl-rhodamine （DER））, oxalic acid, malonic acid, snccinic acid, and phthalic acid, maleic acid, 3-nitrobenzoic acid, and so on. The degradation of RhB in MPC was mainly attributed to the destruction of the conjugated structure, and then the intermediates transformed to acid molecules which were mineralized to water and carbon dioxide.

Photocatalytic activity and kinetics for acid yellow degradation over surface composites of TiO_2-coated activated carbon under different photocatalytic conditions

TiO2-coated activated carbon surface （TAs） composites were prepared by a sol-gel method with supercritical pretreatment. The photocatalytic degradation of acid yellow （AY） was investigated under UV radiation to estimate activity of catalysts and determine the kinetics. And the effects of parameters including the initial concentration of AY, light intensity and TiO2 content in catalysts were examined. The results indicate that TAs has a higher efficiency in decomposition of AY than P25, pure TiO2 particles as well as the mixture of TiO2 powder and active carbon. The photocatalytic degradation rate is found to follow the pseudo-first order kinetics with respect to the AY concentration. The new kinetic model fairly resembles the classic Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation, and the rate constant is proportional to the square root of the light intensity in a wide range. However, its absorption performance depends on the surface areas of catalysts. The model fits quite well with the experimental data and elucidates phenomena about the effects of the TiO2 content in TAs on the degradation rate.

Preparation of spherical activated carbon-supported and Er^(3+):YAlO_3-doped TiO_2 photocatalyst for methyl orange degradation under visible light

In order to develop the high photocatalytic activity of TiO2 under visible light as that under ultraviolet light and make it easy to be separated from treated liquor, a visible light response and spherical activated carbon （SAC） supported photocatalyst doped with upconversion luminescence agent Er3＋：YAlO3 was prepared by immobilizing Er3＋：YAlO3/TiO2, which was obtained by combination of Er3＋：YAlO3 and TiO2 using sol-gel method, on the surface of SAC. The crystal phase composition, surface structure and element distribution, and light absorption of the new photocatalysts were examined by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, energy dispersive X-ray spectra （EDS） analysis, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and fluorescence spectra analysis （FSA）. The photocatalytic oxidation activity of the photocatalysts was also evaluated by the photodegradation of methyl orange （MO） in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation from a LED lamp （λ400 nm）. The results showed that Er3＋：YAlO3 could perform as the upconversion luminescence agent which converts the visible light up to ultraviolet light. The Er3＋：YAlO3/TiO2 calcinated at 700 °C revealed the highest photocatalytic activity. The apparent reaction rate constant could reach 0.0197 min-1 under visible light irradiation.

Role of Ni(NO_3)_2 in the preparation of a magnetic coal-based activated carbon

The role of Nil（NO3）2 in the preparation of a magnetic activated carbon is reported in this paper. Magnetic coal-based activated carbons （MCAC） were prepared from Taixi anthracite with low ash content in the presence of Ni（NO3）2. The MCAC materials were characterized by a vibrating sample magnetometer （VSM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, a scanning electric microscope （SEM）, and by N2 adsorption. The cylindri- cal precursors and derived char were also subjected to thermogravimetric analysis to compare their behavior of weight losses during carbonization. The results show that MCAC has a larger surface area （1074 m21g） and a higher pore volume （0.5792 cm3/g） with enhanced mesopore ratio （by about 10~）. It also has a high saturation magnetization （1.6749 emu/g） and low coercivity （43.26 Oe）, which allows the material to be magnetically separated. The MCAC is easily magnetized because the nickel salt is con- vetted into Ni during carbonization and activation. Metallic Ni has a strong magnetism on account of electrostatic interaction. Added Ni（NO3）2 catalyzes the carbonization and activation process by accelerat- ing burn off of the carbon, which contributes to the development of mesopores and macropores in the activated carbon.

Removal of lead(II) from aqueous solutions by activated carbon developed from surplus sludge

Activated carbon(AC) was prepared from surplus sludge using chemical activation method with the assistance of ZnCl2. The influences of process parameters on the AC's specific surface area and adsorption capacity for Pb2+ were examined to optimize these parameters. The optimal conditions for the preparation of AC were determined to be activation temperature of 500 °C, activation time of 1 h, impregnation ratio of 1:1(solid-to-liquid volume) with the 30% ZnCl2 solution(mass fraction), giving the BET surface area of 393.85 m2/g and yield of 30.14% with 33.45% ash. Also, the pyrolysis temperature was found to be the most important parameter in chemical activation. FTIR spectra provided the evidence of some surface structures such as C=C and C—O—C. In the adsorption studies, a rise in solution pH led to a significant increase in adsorption capacity when the pH value varied from 3.0 to 7.0, and the optimal pH for removal of Pb2+ was 7.0. It was observed that the pseudo-second-order equation provided better correlation for the adsorption rate than the pseudo-first-order and the Langmuir model fitted better than the Freundlich model for adsorption isotherm. The adsorption capacity of AC to Pb2+ was 11.75 mg/L at solution pH 7.0, the equilibrium time 480 min and 25 °C. Moreover, the adsorption process is endothermic according to the value of enthalpy change.

Mechanism of coconut husk activated carbon modified by Mn(NO3)2

To study the mechanism by which activated carbon is modified by HNO3 and Mn(NO3)2,the pore texture and surface chemical characteristics of carbon materials in coconut husk activated carbon(AC)were examined via scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).After being modified by HNO3,the millipore character of AC became deformed,and the character of the adjacent pores remained consolidated.The surface manganites of Mn/AC-1 presented as block and reticular fiber structures,Mn/AC-2's surface manganites presented as petty mammock crystals,and Mn/AC-3's surface manganites were observed as gauze nanosheets that interlace to fill in the pore canal.Nitric acid modification was shown to enlarge surface pores but decrease the specific surface area of AC.Mn loading can be used to construct a new pore structure that,in turn,increased the total specific surface area as well as the specific surface area and the volume of the millipores.Mn/AC-2's pore structure was optimized at a calcination temperature of 500℃and a loading quantity of 5%.The ash content of AC was considerably reduced after modified by HNO3.The active materials for Mn/AC-1 mainly consisted of Mn3O4,with a few Mn2O3 crystals,whereas Mn/AC-2's materials were mainly Mn3O4 and some MnO crystals.Mn/AC-3 was exclusively composed of Mn3O4.HNO3 activation and Mn loading modification did not considerably affect the functional group species present on the catalyst.Modification conditions using the same loading quantities and higher calcination temperatures decreased the number of O—H and N—H bonds while conversely increasing the number of CC and C—O bonds.On the contrary,the use of a higher loading quantity while maintaining the same calcination temperature increased the number of O—H and N—H bonds.A higher loading quantity is beneficial for increasing Mn^4+species.A higher calcination temperature is beneficial for increasing Mn^3+species.The results can optimize the conditions under which Mn/AC catalyst modification occurs,thus improving the physical and chemical properties of carbon-based sorbents.

Optimal activated carbon for separation of CO_2 from(H_2 + CO_2) gas mixture

Seven types of activated carbon were used to investigate the effect of their structure on separation of CO2 from（H2 ＋ CO2） gas mixture by the adsorption method at ambient temperature and higher pressures. The results showed that the limiting factors for separation of CO2 from 53.6 mol% H2 ＋ 46.4 mol% CO2 mixture and from 85.1 mol% H2 ＋ 14.9 mol% CO2 mixture were different at 20 °C and about 2 MPa. The best separation result could be achieved when the pore diameter of the activated carbon ranged from 0.77 to 1.20 nm, and the median particle size was about2.07 lm for 53.6 mol% H2 ＋ 46.4 mol% CO2 mixture and 1.41 lm for 85.1 mol% H2 ＋ 14.9 mol% CO2 mixture. The effect of specific area and pore diameter of activated carbon on separation CO2 from 53.6 mol% H2 ＋ 46.4 mol% CO2 mixture was more significant than that from 85.1 mol% H2 ＋ 14.9 mol% CO2 mixture. CO2 in the gas phase can be decreased from 46.4 mol% to 2.3 mol%–4.3 mol% with a two-stage separation process.

Catalytic Pyrolyses of Rayon and the Effect on Activated Carbon Fiber

The catalytic pyrolyses of rayon have been studied respectively by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) when rayon was treated with phosphoric acid (PA), three ammonium phosphate salts and ammonium sulfate (AS). The air is favorable to the catalysis of dibasic ammonium phosphate (DAP), but not to those of ADP, PA, AP, and AS obviously. It is put forward that a peak’s shape character can be described with the ratio of height to half-height-width (H/W /2) of the peak on a differential thermo-gravimetric (DTG) curve. A flat cracking peak, presenting a more moderate dehydration reaction, has a smaller ratio and could lead to higher carbonization and activation yields. The experimental results prove this view. According to expectation, the order of catalysis is: DAP≥ADP>PA> APAS no catalyst.

Preparation of activated carbons and their adsorption properties for greenhouse gases:CH_4 and CO_2

Three kinds of activated carbons were prepared using coconut-shells as carbon precursors and characterized by XRD, FT-IR and texture property test. The results indicate that the prepared activated carbons were mainly amorphous and only a few impurity groups were adsorbed on their surfaces. The texture property test reveals that the activated carbons displayed different texture properties, especially the micropore size distribution. The adsorption capacities of the activated carbons were investigated by adsorbing CH4, CO2, N2 and O2 at 25 ？C in the pressure range of 0-200 kPa. The results reveal that all the activated carbons had high CO2 adsorption capacity, one of which had the highest CO2 adsorption value of 2.55 mmol/g at 200 kPa. And the highest adsorption capacity for CH4 of the activated carbons can reach 1.93 mmol/g at 200 kPa. In the pressure range of 0-200 kPa, the adsorption capacities for N2 and O2 were increased linearly with the change of pressure and K-AC is an excellent adsorbent towards the adsorption separation of greenhouse gases.

Characteristic and mercury adsorption of activated carbon produced by CO_2 of chicken waste

Preparation of activated carbon from chicken waste is a promising way to produce a useful adsorbent for Hg removal. A three-stage activation process （drying at 200℃, pyrolysis in N2 atmosphere, followed by CO2 activation） was used for the production of activated samples. The effects of carbonization temperature （409-4500℃）, activation temperature （700-900℃）, and activation time （1-2.5 h） on the physicochemical properties （weight-loss and BET surface） of the prepared carbon wereinvestigated. Adsorptive removal of mercury from real flue gas onto activated carbon has been studied. The activated carbon from chicken waste has the same mercury capacity as commercial activated carbon （Darco LH） （Hg^v： 38.7% vs. 53.5%, Hg^0： 50.5% vs. 68.8%）, although its surface area is around 10 times smaller, 89.5 m^2/g vs. 862 m^2/g. The low cost activated carbon can be produced from chicken waste, and the procedure is suitable.

Adsorption of Cd^(2+) in aqueous solutions using KMnO_4-modified activated carbon derived from Astragalus residue

Activated carbon obtained from Astragalus residue was chemically activated by KOH and modified with KMnO4.The samples were characterized by N2 adsorption,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray diffractometry,scanning electron microscopy,and Boehm titration.Accordingly,the original and modified carbon materials were used for the removal of Cd2+from aqueous solution by batch adsorption experiments.Results showed that the contents of oxygen-containing functional groups increased,and MnO2 was nearly uniformly deposited on the surface of activated carbon after modification by KMnO4.The adsorption kinetics was described by pseudo-second order model.Langmuir model fitted the adsorption-isotherm experimental data of Cd2+better than the Freundlich model.The maximum adsorption capacities of the activated carbon before and after modification for Cd2+were 116.96 and 217.00 mg/g,respectively.KMnO4 considerably changed the physicochemical properties and surface texture of activated carbon and enhanced the adsorption capacity of activated carbon for Cd2+.

Hydrogenation of ortho-nitrochlorobenzene on activated carbon supported platinum catalysts

Platinum/carbon catalyst is one of the most important catalysts in hydrogenation of ortho-nitrochlorobenzene to 2,2′-dichlorohydrazobenzene. The preparation process and the supports of catalysts are studied in this paper. Raw materials and preparation procedure of the activated carbon have great influences on the compositions and surface structure of platinum/carbon catalysts. Platinum catalysts supported on activated carbon with high purity, high surface area, large pore volume and appropriate pore structure usually exhibit higher activities for hydrogenation of ortho-nitrochlorobenzene to 2,2′-dichlorohydrazobenzene. The catalyst prepared from H2PtCl6 with pH=3 shows greater catalytic performance than those prepared under other conditions.

Plasma Modification of Activated Carbon Fibers for Adsorption of SO_2

Viscose-based activated carbon fibers （VACFs） were treated by a dielectric-barrier discharge plasma under the feed gas of N2. The surface functional groups of VACFs were modified to improve the adsorption and catalysis capacity for SO2. The surface properties of the untreated and plasma-treated VACFs were diagnosed by SEM, BET, FTIR, and XPS, and the adsorption capacities of VACFs for SO2 were also compared and discussed. The results show that after the plasma treatment, the external surface of VACFs was etched and became rougher, while the surface area and the total pore volume decreased. FTIR and XPS revealed that nitrogen atoms were introduced onto the VACFs surface and the distribution of functional groups on the VACFs surface was changed remarkably. The adsorption characteristic of SO2 indicates that the plasmatreated VACFs have better adsorption capacity than the original VACFs due to the nitrogen functional groups and new functional groups formed in modification, which is beneficial to the adsorption of SO2.

Photocatalytic degradation of L- acid by TiO_2 supported on the activated carbon

TiO2 sol was prepared by sol-gel technique with tetrabutyl titanate as precursor. Supported TiO2 catalysts on activated carbon were prepared by soak and sintering method. The aggregation of nano-TiO2 particles can be effectively suppressed by added polyethylene glycol （PEG） as a surface modifier. The average particle diameter of TiO2, specific surface area and absorbability of catalyst can be modified. Based on characteristics of the TiO2 photocatalyst with XRD, specific surface area, adsorption valves of methylene blue and the amount of TiO2 supported on the activated carbon, the photocatalytic degradation of L-acid was studied. The effect of the factors, such as pH of the solution, the initial concentration of L-acid on the photocatalytic degradation of L-acid, were studied also. It was found that when the pH of the solution is 1.95, the amount of photocatalyst is 0.5 g, the concentration of the L-acid solution is 1.34×10^3 mol/L and the illumination time is 7 h, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of L-acid can reach 89,88%, The catalyst was reused 6 times and its degradation efficiency hardly changed.

Preparation and SO2 Adsorption Behavior of Coconut Shell-Based Activated Carbon via Microwave-Assisted Oxidant Activation

A series of oxidants supported on coconut shell-based activated carbon(CAC) through microwave irradiation were prepared and characterized using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), N_2 adsorption/desorption analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). The SO_2 adsorption capacities and rates were evaluated by adsorption tests performed in a fixed bed reactor with a simulated flue gas, and the adsorption isotherm models were validated against the experimental results. The findings revealed that the SO_2 adsorption capacity decreased in the following order: MW-K_2Cr_2O_7-CAC > MWKMnO_4-CAC > MW-H_2O_2-CAC > MW-CAC. The SO_2 adsorption capacities and adsorption rates of the samples increased with an increasing oxidizability of the oxidants owing to the increment of mean pore size and oxygen-containing functional groups. In addition, a high initial SO_2 concentration and a low bed temperature could positively affect the SO2 adsorption. Finally, the Langmuir model validated that SO_2 was mainly adsorbed through chemical adsorption on the sample surfaces.

Construction of Hierarchical Nanostructured N-doped TiO2 Immobilized Activated Carbon Fiber Porous Composites for Toluene Removal

The hierarchical nanostructured N-doped TiO2 immobilized activated carbon fiber(N-TiO2/ACF)porous composites are fabricated to removal dynamic toluene gas.The results show that nitrogen ions doping and ACF modification can decrease the band gap of TiO2,leading to red shift toward visible light region.Interestingly,N-TiO2/ACF exhibits strongly synergistic effect owing to high surface area,good crystallinity,enhanced bandgap structure and light harvesting.The toluene removal rate of N-TiO2/ACF composites is 2.29 times higher than that of TiO2.The N-TiO2/ACF for toluene degradation followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model,and the rate constant is enhanced 8 times compared with TiO2.The possible photodegradation pathway and mechanisms are proposed.

Hierarchical pore structure of activated carbon fabricated by CO_2/microwave for volatile organic compounds adsorption

An activated carbon pore-expanding technique was achieved through innovative reactivation by CO_2/microwave.The original and modified activated carbons were characterized by nitrogen adsorption–desorption,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microcopy,and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.The mesopore volume increased from 0.122 cm^3·g^(-1) to 0.270 cm^3·g^(-1),and a hierarchical pore structure was formed.A gradual decrease in the phenolic hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the surface of activated carbon enhanced the surface inertia of granular activated carbon(GAC).The toluene desorption rate of the modified sample increased by 8.81% compared with that of the original GAC.Adsorption isotherm fittings revealed that the Langmuir model was applicable for the original and modified activated carbons.The isosteric adsorption heat of toluene on the activated carbon decreased by approximately 50%,which endowed the modified sample with excellent stability in application.The modified samples showed an enhanced desorption performance of toluene,thereby opening a way to extend the cycle life and improve the economic performance of carbon adsorbent in practical engineering applications.

Adsorption of Phenol by Activated Carbon Prepared from Waste Rice Straw by Chemical Activation with (NH_4)_2HPO_4

Activated carbons,RS-1,RS-2,and RS-3,prepared from rice straw with(NH4)2HPO4 activation were used as adsorbents for removing phenols from aqueous solutions.The maximum adsorption capacities of phenol for RS-1,RS-2,and RS-3 were 163.9,172.9,and 200.0 mg/g,respectively.The equilibrium data were analyzed by the Langmuir,Freundlich,and Temkin models.It displayed that Langmuir isotherm fitted to the results best.The dimensionless parameter RL indicated the favorable nature of the adsorption of phenol.Otherwise,the kinetic rates were well explained by pseudo-second-order model.According to the results,activated carbon derived from waste rice straw can be a high-performance adsorbent for wastewater treatment.