Application of Fibrous Activated Carbon Filter in Continuous-Flow Unit for Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds under Simulated Indoor Conditions

Abstract

This work explored the feasibility of applying fibrous activated carbon (FAC) for use as volatile organic compound filters in portable indoor air cleaning devices under simulated indoor conditions. The saturation time for benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene (BTEX) decreased from ~11 to ~3 h, ~17 to ~8 h, ~52 to ~17 h, and ~54 to ~27 h, respectively, as the relative humidity (RH) increased from 20 to 90%. Consistently, the adsorption capacities for BTEX decreased as the RH increased. The saturation time for BT decreased from ~11 to ~2 h and ~70 to ~22 h, respectively, as the initial concentration (IC) increased from 0.1 to 2.0 ppm. In contrast, the adsorption capacities for BT increased from 1.8 to 7.5 mg/g and 8.9 to 53 mg/g, respectively, as the IC increased from 0.1 to 2.0 ppm. The saturation time for BT decreased from ~24 to < 4 h and ~132 to ~22 h, respectively, as the stream flow rate (SFR) increased from 1 to 7 L/min. In addition, the adsorption capacities for BT decreased from 55 to 3.1 mg/g and 308 to 36 mg/g, respectively, as the SFR increased from 1 to 7 L/min. The regeneration efficiencies for both target compounds increased as the desorption temperature increased from 50 to 200°C, while the regeneration times decreased. Overall, this study provides information regarding the optimal operational and regeneration conditions of FAC.