Preparation of Granulated Activated Carbon from Oil Pitch and Soot by a Mixed Activation Method

• Published in: Solid fuel chemistry Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 60 - 63
• Main Authors: Sagitov, A. I., Zhirnov, B. S., Shvedov, A. O., Kugatov, P. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Carbon; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Drying oils; Granular materials; Granulation; Physical Chemistry; Soot; Specific surface; Surface area; Water vapor; active carbon; alkaline activation; steam activation; soot; oil pitch
• ISSN: 0361-5219; 1934-8029
• DOI: 10.3103/S0361521919010063

The samples of granulated (2–3 mm) active carbon were prepared by the alkaline activation of a mixture of soot and oil pitch (50/50) followed by washing and drying (the first stage). At the second stage, the prepared granules were steam activated at temperatures of 700–750°C. As a result, samples with a carbon loss of 10–56% were obtained; in this case, the specific surface area increased from 423 m
2
/g for a sample not subjected to steam activation to 723 m
2
/g for a sample with a carbon loss of 56% (the specific surface area increased by 70%). An analysis of the dependences of the specific surface area and strength on the carbon loss showed that both pitch coke and the material of soot particles reacted with water vapor in the course of activation. Taking the first order of reaction with respect to water vapor, we determined the apparent kinetic constants of the rate equation of a reaction of water vapor with the material of carbon granules. The low activation energy (202 kJ/mol) indirectly indicated a high reactivity of the granules obtained; this allowed us to perform steam activation at a temperature 100–150°С lower than that in the case of traditional activated carbons.