• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2009

Activated carbon modified with nickel (Ni-AC) was employed the for preparation of Ni-activated carbon/$TiO_2$ (Ni-AC/$TiO_2$) composites. The $N_2$ adsorption data showed that the composites had a decreased surface area compared with pristine AC. This indicated blocking of the micropores on the surface of the AC, which was further supported by observation via SEM. XRD results showed that the Ni-AC/$TiO_2$ composite contained a mixed anatase and rutile phase while the untreated AC/$TiO_2$ contained only a typical single and clear anatase phase. EDX results showed the presence of C, O, and Ti with Ni peaks on the composites of Ni-AC/$TiO_2$. Subsequently, the photocatalytic effects on methylene blue (MB) were investigated. The improved decomposition of MB showed the combined effects of adsorptions and photo degradation. In particular, composites treated with Ni enhanced the photo degradation behaviors of MB.

• Carbon letters
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2013

Physically and chemically activated carbons (ACs) exhibited high adsorption capacities for organic and inorganic pollutants compared with other adsorbents due to their expanded surface areas and wide pore volume distribution. In this work, seven steam-ACs with different burn-off have been prepared from cotton stalks. The textural properties of these sorbents were determined using nitrogen adsorption at $-196^{\circ}C$. The chemistry of the surface of the present sorbents was characterized by determining the surface functional C-O groups using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, surface pH, $pH_{pzc}$, and Boehm's acid-base neutralization method. The textural properties and the morphology of the sorbent surface depend on the percentage of burn-off. The surface acidity and surface basicity are related to the burn-off percentage. A theoretical model was developed to find a mathematical expression that relates the % burn-off to ash content, surface area, and mean pore radius. Also, the chemistry of the carbon surface is related to the % burn-off. A mathematical expression was proposed where % burn-off was taken as an independent factor and the other variable as a dependent factor. This expression allows the choice of the value of % burn-off with required steam-AC properties.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.517-528
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• 2017

This study evaluates the performance of membrane bioreactor (MBR) coupled with a modified walnut shell granular activated carbon (WSGAC) for tannery wastewater treatment. For this purpose, a pilot with overall volume of 80L and 12 hours hydraulic retention time (HRT) is operated in three scenarios. Here, the chemical oxidation demand (COD) of wastewater is reduced more than 98% in both C:N ratios of 13 (S1) and 6.5 (S2). This performance also remains intact when alkalinity depletes and pH reduces below 6 (S3). The ammonium removal ranges between 99% (S2) and 70% (S3). The reliability of system in different operating conditions is due to high solids retention time and larger flocs formation in MBR. The average breakthrough periods of WSGAC are determined between 15 minutes (S2) and 25 minutes (S1). In this period, the overall nitrate removal of MBR-WSGAC exceeds 95%. It is also realized that adding no chemicals for alkalinity stabilization and consequently pH reduction of MBR effluent (S3) can slightly lengthen the breakthrough from 15 to 20 minutes. Consequently, MBR can successfully remove the organic content of tannery wastewater even in adverse operational conditions and provide proper influent for WSGAC.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.361-367
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• 2016

Pollutants removal and disinfection effect of secondary effluent from final settling tank of sewage treatment plant of W city were investigated in Loop Reactor using ordinary granular activated carbon(GAC) and GAC coated with silver nanoparticles. The results showed that the removal efficiency of $COD_{Mn}$, T-N and T-P using GAC with silver nanoparticles were higher than using the ordinary GAC. The removal efficiency of T-P using GAC with silver nanoparticles is 45.4% and that of T-P using ordinary GAC is 30.9% in the same case of the input amount of 20 g/L of GAC. The total califorms is reduced according to increasing input amount of GAC with silver nanoparticles and ordinary GAC. The disinfection efficiency of total coliforms in case of GAC with silver nanoparticles is much higher than that in case of ordinary GAC. For all experiments using the silver nanoparticles, the total coliforms is under 26 cfu/mL and this shows very excellent disinfection effect.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.324-330
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• 2008

Activated carbon/$TiO_2$ (AC/$TiO_2$) composites modified with different concentrations of Fe were prepared. The $N_2$ adsorption data showed that the composites had decreased surface area compared with the pristine activated carbon. This indicated the blocking of the micropores on the surface of AC, which was further supported by observation via SEM. XRD results showed patterns for the composites and an anatase typed titanium dioxide structure with a small part of rutile in a higher Fe concentration (> 1.0 mol/L). EDX results showed the presence of C and, O, with Ti peaks on the composites of Fe-AC/$TiO_2$ with relatively lower Ti concentration, which may be due to the higher Fe concentration incorporated into the composites. Subsequently, the photocatalytic effects on methylene blue (MB) were investigated. The improved decomposition of MB showed the combined effects of adsorptions and photodegradation. Especially, the composites modified by Fe revealed enhanced photodegradation behaviors of MB.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2017

Chromium(III) recovery from tanning wastewater by means of adsorption on activated carbon and elution with sulfuric acid was studied. Tests were carried out at laboratory scale on an effluent of industrial origin. Initially, proteinaceous materials and fats were separated via sieving followed by ultrafiltration. The chemical composition of the sample thus precleansed was (in g/L): 1.09 chromium(III); 10.36 sulfate; 11.10 sodium; 9.57 chloride; 0.40 proteinaceous materials; and 0.20 fats. Adsorptions were made at 20, 30, and $40^{\circ}C$, establishing what temperature favored chromium(III) uptake. At $40^{\circ}C$, the maximum cation fixation was 40.2 mg/g, and the lowest content in an equilibrium solution was 3.9 mg/L. As regards sodium, chloride, and sulfate, the concentrations before and after the treatment were similar. Likewise, it was found that protons were also retained, modifying the pH of the liquid medium. Adsorption isotherms were analyzed using the Langmuir, Temkin, and Freundlich models. Finally, the extraction of the adsorbed tanning agent with sulfuric acid was evaluated. A recovery of 96.5% was achieved with 0.9 N at $70^{\circ}C$ (13.23 g/L $Cr^{3+}$; 42.98 g/L sulfate; and 0.40 g/L NaCl).

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.600-607
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• 2019

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released from various sources and are unsafe for human health. Porous materials are promising candidates for the adsorption of VOCs owing to their increased ratio of surface area to volume. In this study, activated carbon (AC) impregnated cellulose acetate (CA) electrospun mats were synthesized using electrospinning for the removal of VOCs from the air mixture of ACs, and CA solution was electrospun at different proportions (5%, 10%, and 15%) in a single nozzle system. The different AC amounts in the electrospun mats were distributed within the AC fibers. The adsorption capacities were measured for acetone, benzene, and dichloromethane, using quartz crystal microbalance. The results elicited an increasing adsorption capacity trend as a function of the impregnation of ACs in the electrospun mats, while their capacities increased as a function of the AC concentration. Dichloromethane resulted in a faster adsorption process than acetone and benzene owing to its smaller molecular size. VOCs were desorbed with the N₂ gas purging, while VOCs were adsorbed at higher temperatures owing to the increased vapor pressures. The adsorption analysis using Dubinin-Astakhov equation showed that dichloromethane is more strongly adsorbed on mats.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.569-573
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• 2013

In this study, activated carbon fabric was prepared from a cellulose-based polymer (viscose rayon) via a combination of physical and chemical activation (mixed activation) processes by means of $CO_2$ as a gasifying agent and surface and adsorption properties were evaluated. Experiments were performed to investigate the consequence of activation temperature (750, 800, 850 and $925^{\circ}C$), activation time (15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes) and $CO_2$ flow rate (100, 200, 300 and 400 mL/min) on the surface and adsorption properties of ACF. The nitrogen adsorption isotherm at 77 K was measured and used for the determination of surface area, total pore volume, micropore volume, mesopore volume and pore size distribution using BET, t-plot, DR, BJH and DFT methods, respectively. It was observed that BET surface area and TPV increase with rising activation temperature and time due to the formation of new pores and the alteration of micropores into mesopores. It was also found that activation temperature dominantly affects the surface properties of ACF. The adsorption of iodine and $CCl_4$ onto ACF was investigated and both were found to correlate with surface area.

• Carbon letters
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2003

The specific adsorption behaviors of activated carbons (ACs) treated with 30 wt% $H_3PO_4$ or NaOH were investigated in the removals of NO or $NH_3$. The acid and base values were determined by Boehm's titration method. And, the surface properties of ACs were studied by FT-IR and XPS analyses. Also, $N_2/77K$ adsorption isotherm characteristics, including the specific surface area and micropore volume were studied by BET and t-plot methods, respectively. From the adsorption tests of NO and $NH_3$, it was revealed in the case of acidic treatment on ACs that the $NH_3$ removal was more effective due to the increase of acidic functional groups in carbon surfaces. Also, the NO removal was increased, in the case of basic treatment, due to the improvement of basic functional groups, in spite of significant decreases of BET's specific surface area and total pore volume. It was found that the adsorption capacity of ACs was not only determined by the textural characteristics but also correlated with the surface functional groups in the acid-base intermolecular interactions.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2015

This study assessed the performance of activated carbon (AC) amendment to treat polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including both parent- and alkylated-moieties in sediment impacted by diesel. A field-collected, diesel-impacted sediment with a NAPL content of 1% was used for the study. No. 2 diesel fuel is weathered by heating at $70^{\circ}C$ for 4 days to obtain a weathered diesel sample having C3-naphthalenes to C2-phenanthrenes/anthracenes (N2/P3) ratio similar to the original sediment. The sediment samples spiked with the weathered diesel to obtain non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contents of 1, 5 and 10% were contacted with AC with a dose of 5% as sediment dry weight for 1 month. By the AC-sediment contact, the freely-dissolved equilibrium concentrations were substantially reduced. Even for sediment with 10% NAPL content, the reductions in the freely-dissolved concentrations were 92% and 75% for total parent-and alkylated-PAHs, respectively. The effect of NAPL contents on the performance of AC was negligible for parent-PAHs, while for alkylated-PAHs, a slightly reduced AC performance was observed. The results suggest that the AC amendment can be an effective option for the treatment of petroleum-impacted sediment with relatively high NAPL contents.