Keywords: activated carbon, chemical treatment, surface treatment, adsorption properties, microporosity.

Activated carbon adsorption is the best available treatment technology for thecontrol of many objectionable trace organic compounds. Activated carbons are frequentlycharacterized by the iodine number and BET surface area, but these parameters do notcorrelate well with trace organic compound removal from natural water. Therefore, theobjective of this research was to develop activated carbon selection criteria that assure theeffective removal of trace organic contaminants from natural water and to base theselection criteria on the adsorbent's pore structure and surface chemistry. Tosystematically evaluate pore structure and surface chemistry effects, a matrix of activatedcarbon fibers (ACFs) with three activation levels and four surface chemistry levels wasstudied. To evaluate whether adsorption trends established for ACFs were also valid forgranular activated carbon (GAC), ACF results were compared with those obtained forthree commercially available GACs. Adsorption capacities were determined for naturalorganic matter (NOM), for relatively hydrophilic methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) andrelatively hydrophobic trichloroethene (TCE) in organic-free water, and for MTBE andTCE in the presence of NOM. NOM isotherms showed that DOC adsorption occurredprimarily in pores with diameters in the 11 to 500 Å range and that electrostaticinteractions between NOM and the carbon surface played a role in NOM adsorption. According to both single-solute isotherms and micropollutant isotherms in the presence of NOM, hydrophobic adsorbents more effectively removed TCE and MTBE thanhydrophilic adsorbents. Effective adsorbents for drinking water treatment shouldtherefore contain little oxygen and nitrogen whose presence increases the polarity of theadsorbent surface. Based on the elemental composition of the low-ash carbons evaluatedin this study, activated carbons should have oxygen and nitrogen contents that sum to nomore than 2 to 3 mmol/g to assure sufficient hydrophobicity. In a.

Many water treatment plants need to remove objectionable trace organic compounds, and activated carbon adsorption is often the best available technology. Utilities face the challenge of having to choose from a large variety of activated carbons, and iodine number or BET surface area values are often utilized in the selection process. Although neither parameter correlates well with adsorption capacities, alternative activated carbon selection criteria based on fundamental adsorbent and adsorbate properties are lacking to date. The first objective of this research was to systematically evaluate the effects of activated carbon pore structure and surface chemistry on the adsorption of two common drinking water contaminants: the relatively polar fuel oxygenate methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and the relatively nonpolar solvent trichloroethene (TCE). The second objective was to develop simple descriptors of activated carbon characteristics that facilitate the selection of suitable adsorbents for the removal of organic contaminants from drinking water.Originally published by AwwaRF for its subscribers in 2003 This publication can also be purchased and downloaded via Pay Per View on Water Intelligence Online - click on the Pay Per View icon below

The principal objectives of this research were (1) to identify activated pore structure and surface chemistry characteristics that assure the effective removal of trace organic contaminants from aqueous solution, and (2) to develop a procedure to predict the adsorption capacity of activated carbons from fundamental adsorbent and adsorbate properties. To systematically evaluate pore structure and surface chemistry effects on the adsorption of organic micropollutants from aqueous solution, a matrix of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) with three activation levels and four surface chemistry levels was prepared and characterized. In addition, three commercially available granular activated carbons (GACs) were studied to verify whether correlations developed for the ACF matrix are valid for adsorbents that are typically used for water treatment. BET surface area, pore size distribution, elemental composition, point of zero charge and infrared spectroscopy data were obtained to characterize the adsorbents. The results showed that the ACF matrix prepared in this study permits a fairly independent evaluation of surface chemistry and pore structure effects on organic contaminant adsorption from aqueous solution. Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a relatively hydrophilic adsorbate, and trichloroethene (TCE), a relatively hydrophobic adsorbate, served as adsorbate probes. To evaluate the effects of natural organic matter (NOM) on MTBE and TCE adsorption capacities, isotherm experiments were conducted in ultrapure water and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water. With respect to surface chemistry, both single-solute isotherms and isotherms in the presence of NOM indicated that hydrophobic adsorbents more effectively removed TCE and MTBE from aqueous solution than hydrophilic adsorbents. Enhanced water adsorption on polar surface sites explained the poorer performance of the hydrophilic adsorbents. Based on the elemental composition of the low-ash carbons evaluated in this study, act.

This project studies the application of high-silica zeolites for the removal of polar organic contaminants, i.e., antimicrobial compounds and the fuel additive methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), from drinking water. Recently published data show that high-silica zeolites, a class of crystalline adsorbents with well defined pore sizes, exhibit considerably larger single-solute MTBE adsorption capacities than activated carbons and carbonaceous resins. The effectiveness of high-silica zeolites is compared to that of activated carbons and a carbonaceous resin.

Adsorption Processes for Water Treatment discusses the application of adsorption in water purification. The book is comprised of 10 chapters that detail the carbon and resin adsorptive processes for potable water treatment. The text first covers the elements of surface chemistry and then proceeds to discussing adsorption models. Chapter 3 tackles the kinetics of adsorption, while Chapter 4 deals with batch systems and fixed fluid beds. Next, the book talks about the physical and chemical properties of carbon. The next two chapters discuss the adsorption of organic compounds and the removal of inorganic compounds, respectively. The eighth chapter presents operational, pilot plant, and case studies. Chapter 9 discusses the biological activated carbon treatment of drinking water, and Chapter 10 covers the adsorption of macroreticular resins. The book will be of great use to both researchers and professionals involved in the research and development of water treatment process.