Physical and chemical properties study of the activated carbon made from sewage sludge

Preparation of activated carbon from sewage sludge is a promising way to produce a useful adsorbent for pollutants removal as well as to dispose of sewage sludge. The objective of this study was to investigate the physical and chemical properties of the activated carbon made from sewage sludge so as to give a basic understanding of its structure. The activated carbon was prepared by activating anaerobically digested sewage sludge with 5 M ZnCl2 and thereafter pyrolyzing it at 500 °C for 2 h under nitrogen atmosphere. The properties investigated in the present study included its surface area and pore size distribution, its elemental composition and ash content, its surface chemistry structure and its surface physical morphology. Furthermore, its adsorption capacities for aqueous phenol and carbontetrachloride were examined. The results indicated that the activated carbon made from sewage sludge had remarkable micropore and mesopore surface areas and notable adsorption capacities for phenol and carbontetrachloride. In comparison with commercial activated carbons, it displayed distinctive physical and chemical properties.