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Cherry‐stones‐based activated carbons as potential adsorbents for CO 2 /CH 4 separation: effect of the activation parameters
Author(s) -
ÁlvarezGutiérrez Noelia,
Victoria Gil M.,
Rubiera Fernando,
Pevida Covadonga
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
greenhouse gases: science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.45
H-Index - 32
ISSN - 2152-3878
DOI - 10.1002/ghg.1534
Subject(s) - adsorption , carbon dioxide , activated carbon , chemistry , yield (engineering) , mesoporous material , response surface methodology , selectivity , chemical engineering , biomass (ecology) , carbon fibers , nuclear chemistry , organic chemistry , chromatography , materials science , catalysis , composite material , composite number , engineering , oceanography , geology
A low‐cost biomass, cherry stones (CS), was used as a carbon precursor to synthesize two activated carbons to be used for CO 2 /CH 4 separation. Single‐step activation with two activating agents, carbon dioxide and steam, was used. The activation conditions that maximize the CO 2 adsorption capacity by the adsorbents at 25 ºC and atmospheric pressure were determined by response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum values were 885 ºC and 12% of solid yield when activating with carbon dioxide, but 850 ºC and 15.3% of solid yield when activating with steam. Heating rate did not show a significant effect on the CO 2 uptake. CO 2 adsorption capacity values up to 11.45 and 10.56 wt.% were achieved under such conditions using carbon dioxide and steam as activating agents, respectively. Carbon dioxide activation promoted the development of microporosity, whereas both micropores and mesopores were developed during steam activation. The CO 2 /CH 4 separation performance at 3 bar of the optimum adsorbents indicated that both cherry‐stones‐based activated carbons could have great potential as CO 2 adsorbents for CO 2 /CH 4 separation. The adsorbent activated with carbon dioxide, CS‐CO 2 , showed a slightly higher adsorption capacity, but the steam‐activated sample, CS‐H 2 O, had an enhanced selectivity to separate CO 2 from CO 2 /CH 4 binary mixtures. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd