M.A. Lillo-Ródenas

Preparation of activated carbons from Spanish anthracite

Abstract In a previous work, the use of a Spanish anthracite for the preparation of activated carbons by chemical activation was analyzed. The results indicated that this raw material is promising for that purpose. In the present paper, that previous work is extended and the effect of different preparation variables on the final porous texture is discussed, such as KOH/anthracite ratio, heating rate, carbonization temperature and carbonization time. Among those different variables studied, the KOH/anthracite ratio seems to be the most important one. In addition, this study introduces an investigation of the nitrogen flow rate, showing that this variable has a very important effect on porosity development. The study confirms that the raw material used is appropriate for the preparation of activated carbons in a single stage pyrolysis process. The proper choice of the preparation conditions allows us to produce microporous activated carbons with a micropore volume up to 1.45 cm3/g and a BET surface area of 3290 m2/g. This work is extended in Part II with a detailed study using NaOH as activating agent and a different preparation method (physical mixing).

Usefulness of chemically activated anthracite for the abatement of VOC at low concentrations

Abstract A previous paper showed a very effective and simple chemical activation method for the preparation of activated carbons from an anthracite that allowed to obtain different ranges of porosity. In addition, these materials were suitable for the VOC adsorption because this activation method renders AC with high volumes of narrow micropores. In this paper, the method has been successfully extended to some other precursors, such as subbituminous and lignite coals and lignocellulosic materials. The developed method permits the easy preparation of AC with very well-developed porosities and with high narrow micropore volumes. These characteristics of the AC allow to reach high adsorption capacities to VOC (benzene and toluene) at low concentrations, which are much higher than previously reported in the literature.

Removal of odour-causing compounds using carbonaceous adsorbents/catalysts prepared from sewage sludge

This paper discusses H(2)S, NH(3) and VOCs removal by sewage-sludge-derived materials with outstanding chemical and textural properties. These materials were obtained from different precursors using different chemical and thermal treatments. Results show that the H(2)S removal process entailed a catalytic conversion of H(2)S to S or SO(4) (2-) species. On the other hand, adsorption is the main mechanism governing the performance of sludge-based materials for NH(3) and VOCs. Retention capacities (x/M values) obtained for some of the sludge-based adsorbents/catalysts are similar to those obtained with commercial activated carbons selected as reference materials.

Synthesis of TiO2 with Hierarchical Porosity for the Photooxidation of Propene

The elimination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at low concentration is a subject of great interest because these compounds are very harmful for the environment and human health. In this work, we have developed a synthesis methodology of TiO2 that allows obtaining meso-macroporous materials with hierarchical porosity and with high thermal stability for their application as photocatalysts in the removal of VOCs, specifically propene. The materials synthesized in this work were characterized by Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG), and nitrogen adsorption. It is observed that the samples calcined at 250 °C and 500 °C present a high photoactivity for the photooxidation of propene, which is similar to the benchmark material P25 (commercial TiO2). Moreover, the textural properties are better than those for P25, indicating that the samples are interesting for the preparation of photocatalysts with different conformations, such as in the form of coatings and fillings in different size scales.

Spherical Activated Carbons with High Mechanical Strength Directly Prepared from Selected Spherical Seeds

In the present manuscript, the preparation of spherical activated carbons (SACs) with suitable adsorption properties and high mechanical strength is reported, taking advantage of the retention of the spherical shape by the raw precursors. An easy procedure (carbonization followed by CO2 activation) has been applied over a selection of three natural seeds, with a well-defined spherical shape and thermal stability: Rhamnus alaternus (RA), Osyris lanceolate (OL), and Canna indica (CI). After the carbonization-activation procedures, RA and CI, maintained their original spherical shapes and integrity, although a reduction in diameter around 48% and 25%, respectively, was observed. The porosity of the resulting SACs could be tuned as function of the activation temperature and time, leading to a spherical activated carbon with surface area up to 1600 m2/g and mechanical strength similar to those of commercial activated carbons.