Performance of Gas-phase Toluene by Adsorption onto Activated Carbon Prepared from Robinia pseudoacacia L. as Lignocellulosic Material

Abstract

The main target of this study was to eliminate gas-phase toluene with activated carbon from indoor air. The activated carbons were prepared from Robinia pseudoacacia L. biomass under different conditions. The change in surface functional groups of the activated carbon biomass raw material produced by pyrolysis in the absence of oxygen at 500–900 °C and activation by potassium hydroxide (KOH). The highest surface area of 1271.3 m2/g gives reason for its external porous surface. The surface porosity and the graphite properties of the prepared KNxACs were detected by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The amount of adsorbed toluene (C7H8) was determined using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry with a thermal desorber system (TD–GC–MS) on the KNxAC surface. The toluene adsorption capacity was reached 111 mg/g at 25 °C and 1000 ppm. As a result, the study revealed that the prepared KN24AC from the Robinia pseudoacacia L. biomass has the best adsorption capacity of gas-phase toluene from indoor air.