Simultaneous adsorption of 11 volatile organic compounds by an activated carbon made from polystyrene sulfonic acid-based organic salt
Activated carbon is used in water treatment worldwide due to its ability to adsorb many different contaminants from water. The high adsorption capacity of activated carbon is linked to its high internal surface area and micro/meso- porosity. In this work an activated carbon obtained from polystyrene sulfonic acid-based organic salt was examined to simultaneously adsorb eleven volatile organic compounds from aqueous solution. Adsorption data were modeled with different isotherms to determine the equilibrium adsorptive capacities for these compounds. The performance of the polymer-based activated carbon was then compared with that of a commercial wood-based activated carbon. The results indicate that the polymer-based activated carbon has almost twice the adsorption capacity than the wood-based activated carbon.
adsorption, volatile organic compounds, activated carbon, Earth Sciences, Geology
City University of New York - City College
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