Strong discs of activated carbons from hydrothermally carbonized beer waste

Abstract

Strong and dense activated carbon discs (ACDs) were synthesized and studied. The discs were produced in a multistep manner from a precursor based on hydrothermally treated beer waste (HTC-BW). The precursor was processed by pulsed current processing (PCP) into ACDs. These discs were activated by physical activation in CO2 at an elevated temperature. The ACDs had surface areas of ∼500 m2/g and contained significant amounts of micro-, meso-, and macropores. The effect on the temperature during the PCP and the presence of tar in the precursor were studied with respect to the properties of the discs. The ACDs had strengths up to 7.2 MPa with densities up to 1.4 g/cm3. The density is the highest reported for discs of activated carbon.