Chapter 1.5 Complex carbon-mineral adsorbents: preparation, surface properties and their modification

Abstract

Publisher Summary The adsorption processes play an important role in numerous fields of modern technique, in medicine, analytical chemistry, and other fields. In the initial period, mainly carbon adsorbents and silica gels were used. Later the metal oxides mainly Al 2 O 3 , mixed oxides prepared on the basis of Al 2 O 3 as well as zeolites became to be more and more widely used as adsorbents and catalysts. Carbon-mineral adsorbents represent a new type of materials containing two components: mineral and carbonaceous. Their properties depend on the amount of carbon deposited on the mineral matrix. In different adsorption processes occurring on the surface of such adsorbents, it can utilize the advantages of either carbonaceous or mineral components. Silica, porous glass, aluminum oxide, aluminosilicates, zeolites, diatomites, and other natural and synthetic adsorbents are the most popular mineral components of such adsorbents. The original surface properties of carbon-mineral adsorbents can predict very promising future for them. This chapter presents the analysis of current state of art related to preparation, physicochemical properties, and application of carbon-mineral adsorbents. Preparation of carbon-silica adsorbents (carbosils) possessing a regular topography of adsorption sites is of special interest. The chapter also shows the effects of topography on thermodynamic properties of various adsorption systems.