ADSORBENTS FROM WASTE MATERIALS

Pyrolyzed products prepared from selectively collected wastes, in alre ady working incineration plants were studied in their original form, a s possible adsorbents in waste water treatment. Furthermore, their ads orption properties were improved by activation techniques used in the conventional activated carbon manufacturing. As a conclusion it can be stated that various organic waste materials can be converted to carbo naceous final products with activated carbon-like character. Their ads orption properties and pore size distributions are determined by the s tructure of the starting material. Although most of these samples have a low specific surface area, their pore volume is not negligible in t he meso- and micropore range. Adsorption tests with one- and two-solut e model waste waters confirmed that the adsorption properties are stro ngly influenced by the surface character, depending both on the sort o f the waste material and the activation process. The adsorption capaci ty of these samples can be utilized in the treatment of strongly pollu ted industrial waste waters. Considering that the raw material of thes e adsorbents is produced continuously and they do not have to be regen erated, it might be worth using these kinds of adsorbents in the prima ry treatment of industrial waste waters.