Pore structure and adsorption performance of the activated carbons prepared from plum kernels

According to iodine number, amount of methylene blue adsorption, the BET specific surface area, and the yield, the conditions for preparing activated carbons as adsorbents from plum kernels were optimized. The activation temperature and time tested were in the ranges 750-900 degrees C and 1-4 h, respectively. Adsorption isotherms of two commercial dyes and phenol from water on such activated carbons were measured at 30 degrees C. It was shown that the optimal activation temperature and time depended on the molar mass of the solutes, and all equilibrium isotherms could be fitted by the Langmuir equation. The experimental results indicated that the prepared activated carbons were economically promising for adsorption removal of dyes and phenol, in contrast to other commercial adsorbents. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.