Characteristic Change of Activated Carbon under Microwave Irradiation

Microwave heating technology coupling with adsorption performance and reduction capability of activated carbon can achieve high removal efficiencies for SO₂ and NO_x. In this paper, experimental studies of the nature of activated carbon in microwave field, including the temperature elevation of activated carbon and some factors influencing on the carbon mass loss, such as microwave power, oxygen content, activated carbon mass and irradiation time etc., were carried out. The temperature elevation behavior of activated carbon in microwave field depends mainly on the microwave power. The rate of activated carbon loss increases along with the improvement of microwave power, and the longer the irradiation time, the higher the mass loss rate of activated carbon, the activated carbon wears down seriously in 150 seconds. The rate of activated carton loss also increases gradually with the rising of oxygen content. In the range of 2% and 4% of oxygen content, the increasing gradient of the rate of activated carbon loss is significant. The rate of activated carbon loss decreases linearly with the increase of activated carbon loss. Microwave treatment reduces the specific surface area from 1674.13 m2/g to 1598.17 m²/g while the pore volume is slightly reduced.