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ACTIVATED CARBON

Table 5.3. ASTM tests of typical activated carbons from different precursors

Bituminous Iodine number Molasses number Abrasion number Bulk density (lb/ft3) 10001100 235 8090 2628

Sub-Bituminous 800900 230 75 2526

Lignite 600 300 60 23

Nut-Shells 1000 97 2930

activated carbon and one treated with the activated carbon being tested. The molasses number has been correlated with the surface area of pores >28 A diameter. This number is a very rough indication of the surface area of the larger pores because molasses is a mixture of many organic molecules. Some typical properties of commercially activated carbons derived from different precursors are given in Table 5.3. The results from these simple tests (Table 5.3) do agree qualitatively with the results of the more elaborate measurements of pore size distributions, shown in Table 5.1.

5.3. GENERAL ADSORPTION PROPERTIES The unique surface property of activated carbon, in contrast to the other major sorbents, is that its surface is nonpolar or only slightly polar as a result of the surface oxide groups and inorganic impurities. This unique property gives activated carbon the following advantages: 1. It is the only commercial sorbent used to perform separation and purification processes without requiring prior stringent moisture removal, such as is needed in air purification. For the same reason, it is also widely used as a sorbent for processes treating aqueous solutions. 2. Because of its large, accessible internal surface (and large pore volume, shown in Figure 5.1), it adsorbs more nonpolar and weakly polar organic molecules than other sorbents do. For example, the amount of methane adsorbed by activated carbon at 1 atmosphere (atm) and room temperature is approximately twice that adsorbed by an equal weight of molecular sieve 5A (Fig. 5.2). 3. The heat of adsorption, or bond strength, is generally lower on activated carbon than on other sorbents. This is because only non-specific, van der Waals forces are available as the main forces for adsorption (see Chapter 2). Consequently, stripping of the adsorbed molecules is relatively easier and results in relatively lower energy requirements for regeneration of the sorbent.

It is not correct, however, to regard activated carbon as hydrophobic. The equilibrium sorption of water vapor on an anthracite-derived activated carbon