• Carbon letters
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2014

A hierarchical pore structured novolac-type phenol based-activated carbon with micropores and mesopores was fabricated. Physical activation using a sacrificial silicon dioxide ($SiO_2$) template and chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH) were employed to prepare these materials. The morphology of the well-developed pore structure was characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The novolac-type phenol-based activated carbon retained hierarchical pores (micropores and mesopores); it exhibited high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface areas and hierarchical pore size distributions. The hierarchical pore novolac-type phenol-based activated carbon was used as an electrode in electric double-layer capacitors, and the specific capacitance and the retained capacitance ratio were measured. The specific capacitances and the retained capacitance ratio were enhanced, depending on the $SiO_2$ concentration in the material. This result is attributed to the hierarchical pore structure of the novolac-type phenol-based activated carbon.

• Carbon letters
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.161-165
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• 2006

Activated carbon fiber could be prepared at 973 K by catalytic activation using potassium hydroxide. Phenol resin fiber (Kynol) was impregnated with potassium hydroxide ethanol solution, carbonized and activated at 973 K, resulting in activated carbon fibers with different porosities. The potassium hydroxide accelerated the activation of the fiber catalytically to form narrow micropore preferentially in carbon dioxide atmosphere. The narrow micropore volume of 0.3~0.4 cc/g, total pore volume of 0.3~0.8 cc/g, mean pore width of 0.5~0.7 nm was obtained in the range of 20~50% burnoff.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1161-1170
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• 2013

The efficiency of coal-based activated carbon in removing methylene blue (MB) and phenol from aqueous solution was investigated in batch experiments. The batch adsorption kinetics were described by applying pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and first order reversible reaction. The results showed that the adsorption of MB and phenol occurs complexed process including external mass transfer and intraparticle diffusion. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained from Langmuir isotherm was 461.0 mg/g for MB and 194.6 mg/g for phenol, respectively. The values of activation parameters such as free energy (${\Delta}G^0$), enthalpy (${\Delta}H^0$), and entropy (${\Delta}S^0$) were also determined as -19.0~-14.9 kJ/mol, 25.4 kJ/mol, and 135.2 J/mol K for MB and 51.8~54.1 kJ/mol, -29.0 kJ/mol, and -76.4 kJ/mol K for phenol, respectively. The MB adsorption was found to be endothermic and spontaneous process. However, the CV adsorption was found to be exothermic and non-spontaneous process.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.302-307
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• 2012

Advanced oxidation processes (AOP) such as O3/activated carbon process and O3/catalysts process were used to compare the decomposition of phenol. Catalysts such as Pd/activated carbon (Pd/AC), Mn/activated carbon (Mn/AC), Co/activated carbon (Co/AC) and Fe/activated carbon (Fe/AC) were prepared by impregnation of Pd, Mn, Co and Fe into the activated carbon of pellet form, respectively. Based on an hour of reactions, the following descending order for the decomposition ratios of dissolved O3 to the 1.48 mg/L of saturated dissolved O3 was observed: Mn/AC (45%) > Pd/AC (42%) > Co/AC (33%) > AC (31%) > Fe/AC (27%). The removal efficiencies of phenol were also arranged in the descending order of AOP as follows: Mn/AC (89%) > Pd/AC (85%) > Co/AC (77%) > AC (76%) > Fe/AC (71%). The remaining ratios (C/Co) of TOC (total organic carbon) after an hour of experiments were arranged in the ascending order of AOP as follows : Pd/AC (0.29) < Mn/AC (0.36) < AC (0.40) < Co/AC (0.49) < Fe/AC (0.51). However, the catalytic effects in the Co/AC and the Fe/AC processes were little in comparison with O3/AC process. The maximum concentrations of intermediates such as hydroquinone and catechol formed from the decomposition of phenol were arranged in the ascending order of AOP as follows: Pd/AC < Fe/AC < Co/AC < AC < Mn/AC. In the case of Pd/AC process, these intermediates were almost disappeared after an one hour of reaction.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.609-618
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• 2009

Repeated phenol spill in the Nakdong River has been a big issue in Korea since 1991. In this study, treatment of phenol in each water treatment process and total water treatment system is evaluated. Phenol was highly volatile, easily oxidized by ozone, and readily absorbed onto GAC. When there was phenol of 0.3mg/L in water, by ozonation of 1mg/L or by GAC adsorption with EBCT of 10minutes or longer, it could be treated to lower than 0.005mg/L, the national drinking water standard of phenol. Even when a sufficient contact time(70minutes) was allowed, only 35 to 40% of phenol could be removed by powdered activated carbon(PAC). Based on the test results, it can be concluded that 1.0mg/L or less concentration of phenol can be treated at the plants adopting the combination process of ozone and GAC down to the safe level. In this study, removal characteristics for phenol were evaluated with the existing pilot plant and demo plant in different advanced water treatment processes(AWTPs). In the future, studies on changes in oxidation and adsorption characteristics caused by competitive matters such as DOC and removal characteristics by other various AWTPs including ozone/filter adsorber need to be performed.

• Carbon letters
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2003

Based on the previous results of the equilibrium and batch adsorptions, the removal efficiency of the two-step surface-modified activated carbon ($2^{nd}AC$) for heavy metal ions such as Pb, Cd, and Cr in fixed column was evaluated by comparing with that of the as-received activated carbon (AC) and the first surface-modified activated carbon ($1^{st}AC$). The order of metal removal efficiency was found as $2^{nd}AC$ > $1^{st}AC$ $\gg$ AC, and the efficiency of the $2^{nd}AC$ maintained over 98% from the each metal solution. Increase of the removal efficiency by the second surface modification was contributed to maintain favorable pH condition of bulk solution during adsorption process. The removal of the heavy metals on the $2^{nd}AC$ was selective with Pb being removed in preference to Cr and Cd in multicomponent solutions and slightly influenced by phenol as the organic material.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.201-207
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• 2013

In this study, the surface of a phenol based activated carbon (AC) used as an electrode in an electric double layer capacitor was modified via boric acid treatment for the capacitance investigation. The effect of boric acid treatment on electrochemical performance was also investigated. The AC surface functional groups ratio of quinone-like (O=C) which is electrochemical active functional groups was increased after the boric acid treatment. And, boric acid treated AC showed an increase in the specific surface area, total pore volume, and micropore volume. In case of optimum boric acid treated AC, its specific capacitance increased by 20% in comparison to that of untreated AC. These results demonstrate that a boric acid treated carbon surface-based electric double layer capacitor electrode effectively enhances specific capacitance.

• Carbon letters
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.57-63
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• 2003

In polymer precursor based activated carbon, the structure of starting material is likely to have profound effect on the surface properties of end product. To investigate this aspect phenolic resins of different types were prepared using phenol, mcresol and formaldehyde as reactants and $Et_3N$ and $NH_4OH$ as catalyst. Out of these resins two resol resins PFR1 and CFR1 (prepared in excess of formaldehyde using $Et_3N$ as catalyst in the basic pH range) were used as raw materials for the preparation of activated carbons by both chemical and physical activation methods. In chemical activation process both the resins gave activated carbons with high surface areas i.e. 2384 and 2895 $m^2/g$, but pore size distribution in PFR1 resin calculated from Horvath-Kawazoe method, contributes mainly in micropore range i.e. 84.1~88.7 volume percent of pores was covered by micropores. Whereas CFR1 resin when activated with KOH for 2h time, a considerable amount (32.8%) of mesopores was introduced in activated carbon prepared. Physical activation with $CO_2$ leads to the formation of activated carbon with a wide range of surface area (503~1119 $m^2/g$) with both of these resins. The maximum pore volume percentage was obtained in 3-20 ${\AA}$ region by physical activation method.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1273-1279
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• 2013

Aromatic hydrocarbons, such as phenol, have been detected frequently in wastewater, soil, and groundwater because of the extensive use of oil products. Bacterial strains (56 isolates) that degraded phenol were isolated from soil and industrial wastewater contaminated with hydrocarbons. GN13, which showed the best cell growth and phenol degradation, was selected for further analysis. The GN13 isolate was identified as Neisseria sp. based on the results of morphological, physiological, and biochemical taxonomic analyses and designated as Neisseria sp. GN13. The optimum temperature and pH for phenol removal of Neisseria sp. GN13 was $32^{\circ}C$ and 7.0, respectively. The highest cell growth occurred after cultivation for 30 hours in a jar fermentor using optimized medium containing 1,000 mg/l of phenol as the sole carbon source. Phenol was not detected after 27 hours of cultivation. Based on the analysis of catechol dioxygenase, it seemed that catechol was degraded through the meta- and ortho-cleavage pathway. Analysis of the biodegradation of phenol by Neisseria sp. GN13 in artificial wastewater containing phenol showed that the removal rate of phenol was 97% during incubation of 30 hours. The removal rate of total organic carbon (TOC) by Neisseria sp. GN13 and activated sludge was 83% and 78%, respectively. The COD removal rate by Neisseria sp. GN13 from petrochemical wastewater was about 1.3 times higher than that of a control containing only activated sludge.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.814-821
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• 1999

The specific capacitance characteristics of the electric double layer capacitors(ELDC) which were made of phenol based activated carbon fiber(ACF) electrodes. Also the effect of aqueous electrolytes on the cell performance has been investigated with respect to different specific surface areas of electrodes and different kinds of aqueous electrolytes. It has been shown that larger surface area and pore size, higher conductivity of electrodes, and higher ion mobility of electrolytes have better specific capacitances. It has been found that heat treatment at $1200^{\circ}C$ and $CO_2$ post-activation at $900^{\circ}C$ of the electrode are effective to improve the specific capacitance over 145F/g and 165F/g, respectively. The EDLC showed high efficiency and long cycle life over 30000 cycles.