Study on Pore and Surface Development of Activated Carbon Produced from Iranian Coal in a Rotary Kiln Reactor

Coal is widely used in activated carbon production as an important precursor. Product properties of the coal gasification are as functions of coal type and operating conditions, so processing of any coal to produce activated carbon follows a different approach. In this study, a coal sample from Goltoot mine, one of the important coal mines in Iran was selected. Pre-oxidation, charring and activation of the coal were carried out in a rotary kiln reactor at different operating conditions. The results showed excellent potential of the coal for producing high quality activated carbon with controllable pore structure. Steam activation of the char at temperature 860?C for 3 hr produced an activated carbon with surface area around 1300 m2/gr and yield %20 wt. The effects of operating conditions such as activation time and temperature and reactant gas type were studied to develop the tailored properties in the product.