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Fundamental study on the thermal regeneration stages of exhausted activated carbons: kinetics

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Abstract

In this work the thermal regeneration of activated carbons saturated with p-nitrophenol has been analysed. By thermogravimetry, it was possible to elucidate the different events taking place during the thermal treatment, and relate them to the type of adsorption in the interfacial system. It was found that the mass loss during thermal treatment comprises a complex process in which different stages are involved, such as drying, desorption of physisorbed adsorbate, breaking up of surface functional groups, cracking of products from adsorbate–surface-specific interactions, etc. The analysis of the textural and surface chemistry characteristics of the pristine and regenerated adsorbent confirmed the thermal desorption mechanisms. Moreover, a kinetic study based on temperature-programmed desorption and Suzuki models was performed, using thermogravimetry data at different heating rates (5–20 K min−1). From this analysis, the values of activation energy involved in each degradation step were estimated.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the University of Extremadura and the Gobierno de Extremadura for financial support through Project PCJ1106. B. Ledesma thanks the Junta de Extremadura for the predoctoral grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical, Energetics and Materials Engineering, University of Extremadura, Avda. Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain

    B. Ledesma

  2. Departament of Applied Physics, University of Extremadura, Avda. Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain

    S. Román, A. Álvarez-Murillo, E. Sabio & C. M. González-García

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  1. B. Ledesma
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  2. S. Román
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Correspondence to S. Román.

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Ledesma, B., Román, S., Álvarez-Murillo, A. et al. Fundamental study on the thermal regeneration stages of exhausted activated carbons: kinetics. J Therm Anal Calorim 115, 537–543 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-013-3293-y

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