Fluorescence spectroscopic studies of the effect of granular activated carbon adsorption on structural properties of dissolved organic matter fractions

This work investigated the effect of granular activated carbon adsorption （GACA） on fluorescence characteristics of dissolved organic matter （DOM） in secondary effluent, by means of excitation-emission matrix （EEM） spectra, the fluorescence regional integra- tion （FRI） method, synchronous spectra, the fluorescence index defined as the ratio of fluorescence emission intensity at wavelength 450nm to that at 500nm at excitation （λex）= 370 am, and the wavelength that corre- sponds to the position of the normalized emission band at its half intensity （λ0.5）. DOM in the secondary effluent from the North Wastewater Treatment Plant （Shenyang, China） was fractionated using XAD resins into 5 fractions： hydrophobic acid （HPO-A）, hydrophobic neutral （HPO- N）, transphilic acid （TPI-A）, transphi｜ic neutral （TPI-N） and hydrophilic fraction （HPI）. Results showed that fluorescent materials in HPO-N and TPI-N were less readily removed than those in the other fractions by GACA. The relative content of fluorescent materials in HPO-A, TPI-A and HPI decreased whereas that in HPO- N and TPI-N increased as a consequence of GACA. Polycyclic aromatics in all DOM fractions were preferen- tially absorbed by GACA, in comparison with bulk DOM expressed as DOC. On the other hand, the adsorption of aromatic amino acids and humic acid-like fluorophores exhibiting fluorescence peaks in synchronous spectra by GACA seemed to be dependent on the acid/neutralproperties of DOM fractions. All five fractions had decreased fluorescence indices as a result of GACA. GACA led to a decreased λ0.5 value for HPO-A, increased ,λ0.5 values for HPO-N, TPI-A and HPI, and a consistent λ0.5 value for TPI-N.

From pollutant to solution of wastewater pollution: Synthesis of activated carbon from textile sludge for dye adsorption

Adsorption is an important process in wastewater treatment,and conversion of waste materials to adsorbent offers a solution to high material cost related to the use of commercial activated carbon.This study investigated the adsorption behaviour of Reactive Black 5（RB5）and methylene blue（MB）onto activated carbon produced from textile sludge（TSAC）.The activated carbon was synthesized through chemical activation of precursor followed with carbonization at 650℃ under nitrogen flow.Effects of time（0–200 min）,pH（2–10）,temperature（25–60℃）,initial dye concentration（0–200 mg·L^-1）,and adsorbent dosage（0.01–0.15 g）on dye removal efficiency were investigated.Preliminary screening revealed that TSAC synthesized via H2SO4activation showed higher adsorption behaviour than TSAC activated by KCl and ZnCl2.The adsorption capacity of TSAC was found to be 11.98 mg·g^-1（RB5）and 13.27 mg·g^-1（MB）,and is dependent on adsorption time and initial dye concentration.The adsorption data for both dyes were well fitted to Freundlich isotherm model which explains the heterogeneous nature of TSAC surface.The dye adsorption obeyed pseudo-second order kinetic model,thus chemisorption was the controlling step.This study reveals potential of textile sludge in removal of dyes from aqueous solution,and further studies are required to establish the applicability of the synthesized adsorbent for the treatment of waste water containing toxic dyes from textile industry.

Characterization and Methanol Adsorption of Walnutshell Activated Carbon Prepared by KOH Activation

Walnut-shellactivated carbons（WSACs）were prepared by the KOH chemicalactivation.The effects of carbonization temperature,activation temperature,and ratio of KOH to chars on the pore development of WSACs were investigated.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FTIR）,X-ray powder diffraction（XRD）,and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）were employed to characterize the microstructure and morphology of WSACs.Methanoladsorption performance onto the optimalWSAC and the coal-based AC were also investigated.The results show that the optimalpreparation conditions are a carbonization temperature of 700 ℃,an activation temperature of 700 ℃,and a mass ratio of 3.The BET surface area,the micropore volume,and the micropore volume percentage of the optimalWASC are 1636 m^2/g,0.641 cm^3/g and 81.97%,respectively.There are a lot of micropores and a certain amount of meso-and macropores.The characteristics of the amorphous state are identified.The results show that the optimalWSAC is favorable for methanoladsorption.The equilibrium adsorption capacity of the optimalWSAC is 248.02mg/g.It is shown that the equilibrium adsorption capacity of the optimalWSAC is almost equivalent to that of the common activated carbon.Therefore the optimalWSAC could be a potentialadsorbent for the solar energy adsorption refrigeration cycle.

Adsorption of acid and basic dyes by sludge-based activated carbon:Isotherm and kinetic studies

A batch experiment was conducted to investigate the adsorption of an acid dye(Acid Orange 51) and a basic dye(Safranine) from aqueous solutions by the sludge-based activated carbon(SBAC). The results show that the adsorption of Acid Orange 51 decreases at high p H values, whereas the uptake of Safranine is higher in neutral and alkaline solutions than that in acidic conditions. The adsorption time needed for Safranine to reach equilibrium is shorter than that for Acid Orange 51. The uptakes of the dyes both increase with temperature increasing, indicating that the adsorption process of the dyes onto SBAC is endothermic. The equilibrium data of the dyes are both best represented by the Redlich-Peterson model. At 25 °C, the maximum adsorption capacities of SBAC for Acid Orange 51 and Safranine are 248.70 mg/g and 525.84 mg/g, respectively. The Elovich model is found to best describe the adsorption process of both dyes, indicating that the rate-limiting step involves the chemisorption. It can be concluded that SBAC is a promising material for the removal of Acid Orange 51 and Safranine from aqueous solutions.

A simplified adsorption model for water vapor adsorption on activated carbon

A simplified model was developed to describe the water vapor adsorption on activated carbon. The development of the simplified model was started from the original model proposed by DO and his co-workers. Two different kinds of carbon materials were prepared for water vapor adsorption, and the adsorption experiments were conducted at different temperatures(20-50 °C) and relative humidities(5%-99%) to test the model. It is shown that the amount of adsorbed water vapor in micropore decreases with the temperature increasing, and the water molecules form larger water clusters around the functional group as the temperature is up to a higher value. The simplified model describes reasonably well for all the experimental data. According to the fitted values, the parameters of simplified model were represented by the temperature and then the model was used to calculate the water vapor adsorption amount at 25 °C and 35 °C. The results show that the model can get relatively accurate values to calculate the water vapor adsorption on activated carbon.

Study on Adsorption of Formaldehyde by Modified Activated Carbon

By using potassium permanganate impregnation method,common activated carbon was processed in 0. 079 mol/L KMnO4 solution at 650℃ to obtain modified activated carbon loaded with manganese oxide,and then different quantities of common activated carbon and modified activated carbon were used to adsorb 0. 3 mg/m^3 formaldehyde. The results showed that carbon and manganese atoms on the surface of modified activated carbon could adsorb formaldehyde,and the removal rate of 0. 3 mg/m^3 formaldehyde by 30 g of modified activated carbon reached 80%,increased one time compared with that by common activated carbon. Different amounts of activated carbon had various effects on the adsorption of formaldehyde,and the best usage of common activated carbon and modified activated carbon was 100 and 30 g respectively.

Adsorption and Desorption of Gold on the Magnetic Activated Carbon

Adsorption and desorption of gold on the magnetic activated carbon (MAC) were investigated The adsorption rate of gold is higher than that of conventional coconut carbon in cyanide leach solution The loading gold can be easily desorbed as coconut carbon. Crushed fine magnetic carbon can be selected by a magnetic separator, It is suggested that the MAC can be used in carbon-in-pulp (CIP)process for increasing the recovery rate of gold

Adsorption Characteristics of Activated Carbon Derived from Scrap Tires for Malachite Green:Influence of Small Organics

The influence of small organics on the adsorption characteristics of activated carbon produced from industrial pyrolytic tire char(APTC)for malachite green(MG) was investigated by a batch method. Phenol was chosen as the representative of small organics. The effects of phenol on adsorption equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics were studied systematically. The results indicate that APTC is a potential adsorbent for MG. The presence of phenol decreases the adsorption capacity of APTC for MG, but improves the rate of adsorption, while the adsorption characteristics, such as equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics are not affected by phenol. The adsorption equilibrium data follow Langmuir isotherm and the kinetic data are well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption process follows intra-particle diffusion model and the adsorption rate is determined by more than one process. Thermodynamic study shows that the adsorption is an endothermic and spontaneous physisorption process.

ADSORPTION OF DYES ON ACTIVATED CARBON FIBERS

The adsorplion behavior of dyes on a variety of sisal based activated carbonfibers (SACF) has been studied in this paper The results show that this kind of ACFhas excellent adsorption capacities for some organic (dye) molecules. SACF canremove nearly all methylene blue, crystal violet, bromophenol blue and Eriochromeblue black R from water after static adsorption for 24 h. at 30℃ The adsorptionamounts can reach more than 400 mg/g when adding 50 mg SACF into 50 ml dyesolution. Under the same conditions, the absorption amounts of xylenol orangefluorescein and Eriochrome black T were lower On the other hand, the adsorptionamounts change along with the characteristics of adsorbents. The SACFs activatedabove 840 ℃ which have higher specific surface areas and wider pore radii, havehigher adsorption amounts for the dyes. The researching results also show that foeadsorption rates of dyes onto SACFs decrease by the order of methylene blue,Eriochrome blue black R and crystal violet.

Experimental Design Technique on Removal of Hydrogen Sulfide using CaO-eggshells Dispersed onto Palm Kernel Shell Activated Carbon：Experiment,Optimization,Equilibrium and Kinetic Studies

This study presents the use of chicken eggshells waste utilizing palm kernel shell based activated carbon（PKSAC） through the modification of their surface to enhance the adsorption capacity of H2S. Response surface methodology technique was used to optimize the process conditions and they were found to be： 500 mg/L for H2S initial concentration, 540 min for contact time and 1 g for adsorbent mass. The impacts of three arrangement factors（calcination temperature of impregnated activated carbon（IAC）, the calcium solution concentration and contact time of calcination） on the H2S removal efficiency and impregnated AC yield were investigated. Both responses IAC yield（IACY, %） and removal efficiency（RE, %） were maximized to optimize the IAC preparation conditions. The optimum preparation conditions for IACY and RE were found as follows： calcination temperature of IAC of 880 ℃, calcium solution concentration of 49.3% and calcination contact time of 57.6 min, which resulted in 35.8% of IACY and 98.2% RE. In addition, the equilibrium and kinetics of the process were investigated. The adsorbent was characterized using TGA, XRD, FTIR, SEM/EDX, and BET. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity was found to be 543.47 mg/g. The results recommended that the composite of PKSAC and Ca O could be a useful material for H2S containing wastewater treatment.

Preparation of Ammonia Adsorbent by Carbonizing and Activating Mixture of Biomass Material and Hygroscopic Salt

We put forward a new and ingenious method for the preparation of a new adsorbent by soaking, carbonizing and activating the mixture of hygroscopic salt and biomass material. The new adsorbent has high porosity, uniform distribution and high content of Ca Cl2, and exhibits high adsorption performance. The ammonia uptake and specific cooling power（SCP） at 5 min adsorption time can reach as high as 0.19 g·g^-1 and 793.9 W·kg^-1, respectively. The concept of utilizing the biomass materials and hygroscopic salts as raw materials for the preparation of adsorbents is of practical interest with respect to the potential quantity of biomass materials around the world, indicating that there would be a new market for biomass materials.Key words： biomass material; adsorption system; ammonia; calcium chloride; activated carbon

Characterization of P-nitrophenol Adsorption Kinetic Properties in Batch and Fixed Bed Adsorbers

P-nitrophenol（PNP） adsorption in batch and fixed bed adsorbers was studied. The homogeneous surface diffusion model（HSDM） based on external mass transfer and intraparticle surface diffusion was used to describe the adsorption kinetics for PNP in stirred batch adsorber at various initial concentrations and activated carbon dosages. The fixed bed model considering both external and internal mass transfer resistances as well as axial dispersion with non-linear isotherm was utilized to predict the fixed bed breakthrough curves for PNP adsorption under the conditions of different flow rates and inlet concentrations. The equilibrium parameters and surface diffusivity（Ds） were obtained from separate experiments in batch adsorber. The obtained value of Ds is 4.187×1012 m2/s. The external film mass transfer coefficient（kf） and axial dispersion coefficient（DL） were estimated by the correlations of Goeuret and Wike-Chang. The Biot number determined by HSDM indicated that the adsorption rate of PNP onto activated carbon in stirred batch was controlled by intraparticle diffusion and film mass transfer. A sensitivity analysis was carried out and showed that the fixed bed model calculations were sensitive to Ds and kf, but insensitive to DL. The sensitivity analysis and Biot number both confirm that intraparticle diffusion and film mass transfer are the controlling mass transfer mechanism in fixed bed adsorption system.

Application of Green Technology Using Biological Means for the Adsorption of Micro-Pollutants in Water

It is true that the world we have today is not the world we use to know. The Covid-19 pandemic has paralyzed all sector, hence the need for safety and enabling environment for mankind is of high importance. Adsorption technology is far the best and cheapest treatment technology for water and has extensively proven its worth for the uptake of micro-pollutant from surface, ground and water which are the major channels of home water. Over the years activated carbon is considered as the most common and universally used adsorbent for the eradication of different types of micro-pollutants from water. The contamination of surface water by micro-pollutant is a potential threat for the production of high quality and safe drinking water. Adsorption operation onto granulated activated carbon (GAC) in fixed-bed filters is often applied as a remedying step in the synthesis of safe and drinkable water. Activated carbon actively tends to act as a carrier material for a thin usually resistant layer of microorganisms (mostly bacteria) that forms on the coat of various surfaces (biofilm), hence biological simplification can be an alternative removal approach that can be adopted in granulated activated carbon filters. To evaluate the capacity of biofilm to biologically simplify micro-pollutants, it is very imperative to distinguish adsorption from biological simplification (biodegradation) as a removal mechanism. Experiment was carried out under the operating condition of a temperature range of 6?C to 20?C with biologically activated and autoclaved GAC to assess the biological simplification by the biofilm adsorbed on the GAC surface. Five micro-pollutants were selected as model compounds, of which some of them were biologically simplified by the GAC biofilm. Additionally, we observed that temperature can increase or decrease adsorption. Conclusively, comparison was made on the adsorption capacity of granulated activated carbon used for more than 50,000 beds.

Competitive effects of humic acid and wastewater on adsorption of Methylene Blue dye by activated carbon and non-imprinted polymers

Natural organic matter（NOM）, present in natural waters and wastewater, decreases adsorption of micropollutants, increasing treatment costs. This research investigated mechanisms of competition for non-imprinted polymers（NIPs） and activated carbon with humic acid and wastewater. Three different types of activated carbons（Norit PAC 200,Darco KB-M, and Darco S-51） were used for comparison with the NIP. The lower surface area and micropore to mesopore ratio of the NIP led to decreased adsorption capacity in comparison to the activated carbons. In addition, experiments were conducted for single-solute adsorption of Methylene Blue（MB） dye, simultaneous adsorption with humic acid and wastewater, and pre-loading with humic acid and wastewater followed by adsorption of MB dye using NIP and Norit PAC 200. Both the NIP and PAC 200 showed significant decreases of 27% for NIP（p = 0.087） and 29% for PAC 200（p = 0.096） during simultaneous exposure to humic acid and MB dye. There was no corresponding decrease for NIP or PAC 200 pre-loaded with humic acid and then exposed to MB. In fact, for PAC 200, the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon increased when it was pre-loaded with humic acid by 39%（p = 0.0005）. For wastewater, the NIP showed no significant increase or decrease in adsorption capacity during either simultaneous exposure or pre-loading. The adsorption capacity of PAC 200 increased by 40%（p = 0.001） for simultaneous exposure to wastewater and MB. Pre-loading with wastewater had no effect on MB adsorption by PAC 200.

TiO_2-loaded activated carbon fiber:Hydrothermal synthesis,adsorption properties and photo catalytic activity under visible light irradiation

TiO2-loaded activated carbon fibers （ACF） were prepared by a hydrothermal method. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectrometry and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra （DRS）. SEM images showed that the TiO2 nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of ACF, and the particle size and loading amount of TiO2 were varied by changing the initial concentration of tetrabutyl titanate （TBOT）. The results of an ash experiment showed that the loading amounts of TiO2 were 18.4%, 43.3%, 52.5%, 75.1%, and 91.1% for initial concentrations of TBOT of 0.07,014, 0.21,0.28, and 0.35 tool/L, respectively, Physical interactions played an important role in the formation of TiO2/ACF composite fibers that absorb UV and visible light. Compared with those of ACF, improved adsorption and photocatalytic activity toward Rhodamine B （RhB） were observed for TiO2/ACF composite fiber. The Rhodamine B could be removed efficiently by TiO2/ACF composite fibers, and the TiO2 loading amount had a significant effect on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2/ACF composite fibers.

Breakthrough CO_2 adsorption in bio-based activated carbons

In this work, the effects of different methods of activation on CO2 adsorption performance of activated carbon were studied. Activated carbons were prepared from biochar, obtained from fast pyrolysis of white wood, using three different activation methods of steam activation, CO2 activation and Potassium hydroxide（KOH） activation. CO2 adsorption behavior of the produced activated carbons was studied in a fixed-bed reactor set-up at atmospheric pressure, temperature range of 25–65°C and inlet CO2 concentration range of10–30 mol% in He to determine the effects of the surface area, porosity and surface chemistry on adsorption capacity of the samples. Characterization of the micropore and mesopore texture was carried out using N2 and CO2 adsorption at 77 and 273 K, respectively.Central composite design was used to evaluate the combined effects of temperature and concentration of CO2 on the adsorption behavior of the adsorbents. The KOH activated carbon with a total micropore volume of 0.62 cm3/g and surface area of 1400 m2/g had the highest CO2 adsorption capacity of 1.8 mol/kg due to its microporous structure and high surface area under the optimized experimental conditions of 30 mol% CO2 and 25°C. The performance of the adsorbents in multi-cyclic adsorption process was also assessed and the adsorption capacity of KOH and CO2 activated carbons remained remarkably stable after50 cycles with low temperature（160°C） regeneration.

Pilot Study on Drinking Water Advanced Treatment by GAC-MF System

The pilot performance of the combined GAC-MF membrane process for drinking water advanced treatment was described. In the process of GAC adsorption, under the conditions of 20 min HRT and 6 m/h filtration rate, the removal efficiencies of UV_(254) and trichloromethane could reach 40% and 50% respectively and the UV_(254) and trichloromethane in system effluent was less than 0.015 cm^(-1) and 5μg/L respectively. In the post MF membrane process, MF membrane effectively retained the particles and bacteria in raw water. The effluent turbidity was less than 0.2 NTU and no bacteria were detected at all in permeate. A computer-controlled system was employed to control this system. The membrane operating parameters of backwash interval, duration and flux were studied. The backwash interval of 10-min, 20-min and 60-min was researched respectively, and the variation of trans-membrane pressure was also analyzed. Consequently short backwash interval was recommended under the same water consume.

Integration between Engineering and Knowledge Systems： Evaluation of Performance of a Wastewater Treatment Plant in a Textile Company

The integration between engineering and knowledge systems （KS） in a manufacturing environment in a network of industrial enterprises was investigated. The drivers for this application of engineering design to infrastructure in an industrial setting where cost and time to market are vital were to spread best practice, and to gain experience in dealing with the regulatory authorities according to ISO 14000. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the industrial wastewater treatment plant of the Hilla Textile Factories, to find an appropriate method of treating the industrial wastewater so as to render it fit for reuse or safe to be disposed of as stipulated by the Iraqi laws on effluent disposal. The removal efficiencies of the different parameters used to describe water quality was low. It was found that the removal efficiency of COD （Chemical Oxygen Demand） was 20-21%, that of BOD （Biochemical Oxygen Demand） was 17-30% and that of TSS （Total Suspended Solids） was 27-31%. The quality of the effluent was not in line with those of either the Iraqi or American standards.

Effect of biomass addition on the surface and adsorption characterization of carbon-based adsorbents from sewage sludge

Sewage sludge with the additive corn cob was used as prescusor to prepare sludge-based carbon adsorbents by pyrolysis method. And then, the carbonizated products were activated with potassium hydroxide. The mixing ratio of the corn cob to sewage sludge was investigated. The surface area and pore size distribution, elemental composition, surface chemistry structure and the surface physical morphology were determined and compared. The results demonstrated that the addition of corn cob into the sewage sludge sample could effectively improve the surface area （from 287 to 591 m 2 /g） and the microporosity （from 5% to 48%） of the carbon based adsorbent, thus enhancing the adsorption behavior. The sulfur dioxide adsorption capacity was measured according to breakthrough test. It was found that the sulfur dioxide adsorption capacity of the adsorbents was obviously enhanced after the addition of the corn cob. It is presumed that not only highly porous adsorbents, but also a high metallic content of these materials are required to achieve good performances.

Adsorption of phenylalanine from aqueous solution onto active carbon and silica gel

The adsorption isotherms of phenylalanine from aqueous solution on active carbon and silica gel at varying pH,and the influence of inorganic salt upon the ad rption have been studied (at 25℃).The adsorption amount of phcnylalanine on the silica gel is very low due to the strong ad- sorption of water by silica gel.The results on the active carbon show:(1)The adsorption is found to be pH-dependent,within pH 4.1—5.1 it increases with pH,within pH 5.1—11.8 it decreases with pH,at pH 5.1 the adsorption reaches its maximum;(2)The phenylalanine is adsorbed mainly in the form of zwitterion;(3)A certain amount of cations and anions of phenylalanine are also adsorbed with van der Waals interaction;(4)After adding NaCl,the adsorption of phenylalanine increases markedly.