Abstract
In this paper, we discuss the advantages and limitations of conventional and microwave heating method in preparing epoxy resin-based activated carbons. KOH was chosen as the chemical agent to prepare activated carbons with conventional (CAC) and microwave (MAC) heating methods. CAC was prepared from the carbonized chars (650°C for 2.5h) by activating at 800°C for 1h in a tube furnace. MAC was prepared from the same carbonized chars with radiation power of 700W and radiation time of 15min. N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used for testing the properties of the activated carbons. Results from FTIR suggested that CAC has more functional groups than MAC. Methylene blue (MB) was selected as the adsorbate to evaluate their adsorption property. Although, MAC exhibited larger surface area (2792m2/g), adsorption results showed the adsorption capacity of MB for CAC is higher, which is due to the different activation processes and adsorption mechanisms.
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