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Modification Of Surface, Physical And Chemical Properties Of Activated Carbons For Water Purification
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1.2 METHODS OF MANUFACTURE OF ACTIVATED CARBON
The methods employed
in the industrial manufacture of activated carbons are numerous but
consist of three main methods namely; Chemical activation, Steam
activation and thermal processing techniques.
The raw materials or
precursors used in the manufacture of activated carbon are as follows;
Softwood, coconut shell, lignite, hardwood, grain and agro products,
bituminous coal, anthracite, etc.
Chemical activation is generally
used for the production of activated carbon from sawdust, wood or peat
and uses chemicals for activation. Chemical activation technique
involves mixing an inorganic chemical compound with the carbonaceous raw
materials and the most widely used activating agents are Phosphoric
acid and Zinc Chloride.
Steam activation technique is generally used
for coal-based, coconut shell and grain-based activated carbons and uses
gases, vapors or a mixture of both for its activation.
Thermal
processing technique is a separation process that removes unwanted
materials from the carbonaceous precursor used under varying heat
applications. This technique is at a lower cost compared to the two
techniques above and meets all environmental standards, while others
need expensive solutions to achieve the same results.
1.3 NEED FOR PRESENT INVESTIGATION
The
need for present investigation of this material cannot be over
emphasized. This is as a result of the pressing need for treatment of
waste water emanating from domestic and industrial concerns.
Activated
carbon plays an important role in the purification of fluids (water),
including vegetable oils used in domestic cooking and as a precursor in
industrial manufacture of food products. The slow pace of technological
development in the country has resulted to the expenditure of the
nation’s resources on importation of activated carbons to meet the
demand for local chemical and process industries, as well as the demand
for municipal and industrial water treatment plants.
Rapid
industrialization, together with the increase in modern methods of
agriculture and the increase in population, has contributed to the
pollution of the ecosystem. Most of the pollutants are toxic to living
organisms. It is therefore imperative that waste water has to be treated
to remove the toxic materials before disposal to the environment. Most
methods of treating water have some inherent shortfalls. Activated
carbon treatment was therefore developed because of its effectiveness in
pollutants removal, especially in water purification.
1.4 OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The primary objectives and scope of the present investigation include the following:
i. Acquisition of the different types of activated carbons available to the nation’s chemical industry.
ii.
Modification of the surface physical and chemical properties of the
carbon material, for their use in liquid phase applications.
iii. Determination of the physical properties of the as-received and modified activated carbon materials.
iv. Testing the adsorption capacity of the carbon materials in adsorption processes.
v. Evaluation of the fractional surface coverage for each carbon material.
vi.
Proposal of a scheme for the optimal modification of activated carbon
material for optimal application in liquid phase adsorption.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]The purpose of this work was to study the effect of chemical surface properties of activated carbons for their use in water purification. To achieve this objective, activated carbon in both granular and powdered forms namely: as received and devolatilized carbons were prepared. Proximate analysis of the carbon materials was performed. Mass titration experiments were carried out to determine the point of zero charge of the activated carbon materials. Again, using an ultraviolet spectrophotometer, ... Continue reading---
