Unraveling the lab-scaling up production of activated carbon from plastic-enriched waste
Ledicia Pereira, G. Blázquez, Ventura Castillo Ramos, Francisco Miguel González-Pernas, María González-Lucas, M.A. Martín‐Lara, M. Calero, Rafael R. Solís
Abstract
This work explores the preparation of activated carbon from the pyrolysis char residues in two different scale scenarios, i.e. a laboratory furnace and a scaled-up version in a lab-pilot plant rotatory furnace. As the activating method, K 2 CO 3 was added to the carbonaceous precursor. The activation temperature (700-800 °C) and the impregnation char: K 2 CO 3 ratio (1:0.25–1:2) were modified in both setups, comparing the attained results of textural development and chemical composition by elemental analysis and XPS . The effect of the agitation during the activation process was also evaluated at the lab-pilot plant scale. The results pointed out a better definition of the textural properties at the lab-pilot plant scale, with an important influence on the agitation in the process. Thus, the optimum temperature was set as 750 °C, and the char: K 2 CO 3 ratio as 1:0.5, leading to a material with an area of ∼1100 m 2 g −1 , and a pore volume of ∼0.8 cm 3 g −1 . The resulting activated carbon could adsorb up to 270 mg CO 2 g −1 . Dynamic tests of CO 2 -CH 4 mixtures (from 20:80 to 40:60) were carried out with the optimized material prepared at the lab-pilot plant scale, demonstrating the suitability of the valorized residue as activated carbon for biogas upgrading, with high stability in sequential reusing assays.