Molecular Dimensions and Porous Structure of Activated Carbons for Sorption of Xylene and Isooctane. Issue 1 (17th November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Troppová, Ivana; Matějová, Lenka; Kuboňová, Lenka; Strašák, Tomáš; Študentová, Soňa; Kustrowski, Piotr; Obalová, Lucie
• Is Part Of: Chemical engineering & technology. Volume 40:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 6
• Page End: 17
• Publication Date: 2016-11-17
• Subjects: Activated carbon -- Adsorption -- Density functional theory -- Isooctane -- Volatile organic compounds -- Xylene; Chemical engineering -- Periodicals; Chemical processes -- Periodicals; 660.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ceat.201500675
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0930-7516

Abstract

Abstract: The sorption of xylene and isooctane was measured by the gravimetric flow sorption method on commercial activated carbons (ACs), namely, virgin and reactivated ACs. Nitrogen physisorption, high‐pressure mercury porosimetry, helium pycnometry, iodine number, pH measurement, Raman and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopies were applied for textural, structural, and surface characterization of ACs. The equilibrium geometries of isooctane and xylene molecules were modeled using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Their dimensions were estimated to be correlated with textural properties of ACs to reveal the effect of size selectivity. The key factors influencing the adsorption capacity of the chosen ACs for both tested volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were found to be the mesopore surface area and the surface basicity. Abstract : Activated carbons are of significant technological interest as low‐cost adsorbents with high efficiency to adsorb hazardous volatile organic compounds. Two types of commercially produced activated carbons were investigated for adsorption of the two model volatile organic compounds isooctane and xylene. Mesopore surface area and surface basicity were the key factors for adsorption capacity.