Selective removal of methyl mercaptan in coffee aroma using oxidized microporous carbon

Coffee aroma recovered from the extraction process of roasted coffee beans is used to improve the quality of soluble coffee products. Coffee aroma oft en has an irritating sulfurous odor. In the present work, it is experimenta lly elucidated that methyl mercaptan could be selectively removed from the coffee aroma-containing gas by the oxidized microporous carbon, Breakthroug h curves of coffee aroma-containing gas on zeolite 5A, microporous carbon ( MSC 5A), and MSC 5A oxidized with 13,2M HNO3 aqueous solution revealed that the adsorption capacity of methyl mercaptan on the oxidized carbon was 4.2 times of that on the zeolite. The loss of desired coffee aroma was decreas ed using the oxidized carbon in the removal of methyl mercaptan.