ACTIVATED CARBONS FROM URUGUAYAN EUCALYPTUS WOOD

Activated carbons were prepared from eucalyptus wood chars and the res ults of CO2, CO2-O-2 and steam activation were compared. The carboniza tion step gave rise to a narrow micropore structure and a highly devel oped macroporosity which increased slightly upon CO2 activation and si gnificantly upon steam activation. This last process led also to a wid ening of micropore size distribution and developed the mesoporosity mo re than CO2 activation did. The presence of O-2 accompanying CO2 in th e activating gas increased the micro- and macroporosity of the carbons . No net destruction of microporosity was observed even at high burnof f levels and with as much as 5 vol. % O-2 in the activating gas. Copyr ight (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.