Numerical studies of the effects of process conditions on the development of the porous structure of adsorbents prepared by chemical activation of lignin with alkali hydroxides

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the application of the advanced LBET and QSDFT methods compared to the BET and DR approach to the comprehensive analysis of the porous structure of activated carbons obtained by chemical activation of demineralised Kraft lignin with potassium and sodium hydroxides. Based on the analysis of nitrogen adsorption isotherms, the influence of the preparation process conditions on the porous structure formation was investigated. Particularly, the impact of the type of activating agent, the activation temperature, the hydroxide to lignin mass ratio, and the flow rate of inert gas on the porous structure formation was assessed. This work proves how useful the used methods of structure analysis are when evaluating the influence of preparation conditions on the formation of the porous structure of activated carbons.