Changing the adsorption capacity of coal-based honeycomb monoliths for pollutant removal from liquid streams by controlling their porosity

• Published in: Applied surface science 2010-09, Vol.256 (23), p.7111-7117
• Main Authors: Gatica, José M., Harti, Sanae, Vidal, Hilario
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activation; Adsorption; Coal; Compressive strength; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Disordered solids; Exact sciences and technology; Honeycomb; Honeycomb construction; Honeycomb monoliths; Infrared and Raman spectra; Infrared and raman spectra and scattering; Liquids; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Physics; Pollutants; Porosity; Powders, porous materials; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surface chemistry; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Water pollutant removal
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2010.05.036

Coal-based honeycomb monoliths extruded using methods developed for ceramic materials have been used to retain methylene blue and p-nitrophenol from aqueous solutions. The influence of the filters’ thermal treatment on their textural properties and performance as adsorbents was examined. Characterization by N 2 physisorption, mercury porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy along with adsorption tests under dynamic conditions suggest that, depending on the pollutant and its initial concentration, it can be more convenient to previously submit the monoliths to a simple carbonization or to an additional activation, with or without preoxidation, as a consequence of their different resulting pore structures. Infrared spectroscopy indicates that their different adsorption behaviour seems not to be related to differences in their surface chemical groups. In addition, axial crushing tests show that the monoliths have an acceptable mechanical resistance for the application investigated.