title: Influence of pore size distribution on the adsorption of phenol on PET-based activated carbons.
abstract: The role of pore size distribution in the adsorption of phenol in aqueous solutions on polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based activated carbons (ACs) has been analyzed. The ACs were prepared from PET and mixtures of PET with coal-tar pitch (CTP) by means of carbonization and subsequent steam and carbon dioxide activation at 850 and 950 °C, respectively. The resultant ACs were characterized on the basis of similarities in their surface chemical features and differences in their micropore size distributions. The adsorption of phenol was carried out in static conditions at ambient temperature. The pseudo-second order kinetic model and Langmuir model were found to fit the experimental data very well. The different adsorption capacities of the ACs towards phenol were attributed to differences in their micropore size distributions. Adsorption capacity was favoured by the volume of pores with a size smaller than 1.4 nm; but restricted by pores smaller than 0.8 nm.
authors.affiliation: Wrocław University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Polymer and Carbonaceous Materials, Gdańska 7/9, 50-344 Wrocław, Poland. Electronic address: ewa.lorenc.grabowska@pwr.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lorenc-Grabowska
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional del Carbón, INCAR-CSIC, c/ Francisco Pintado Fe 26, 33011 Oviedo, Spain. Electronic address: madiez@incar.csic.es.
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.affiliation: Wrocław University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Polymer and Carbonaceous Materials, Gdańska 7/9, 50-344 Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gryglewicz
keywords: Activated carbons; Coal-tar pitch; Kinetics; PET; Phenol adsorption; Surface properties