Granular Carbon Adsorbent Based on Soot and Synthetic Pitch

Abstract

A method for producing granular carbon adsorbent by stirring a suspension of soot in a solution of naphthalene (in heptane) in the presence of sulfuric acid was proposed. Experimental research together with mathematical processing of the results made it possible to propose a mechanism for the formation of spherical carbon granules from soot and naphthalene: in the course of intense mixing in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid, a binder material was formed from naphthalene, and it was adsorbed on the surface of soot particles. The resulting particles with a thin layer of binding material on their surface stuck together in the field of centrifugal forces to form larger particles, which ultimately acquired a spherical shape and had a size of up to 5 mm. A comparison of the resulting carbon granules (from soot and synthetic pitch) with granules preparedby mixing soot and petroleum pitch showed that the proposed adsorbent had specific surface area and mechanical strength greater by factors of 1.5–2.