Activated carbon from municipal waste

A refuse derived fuel (RDF) was carbonized by partial combustion at 623 K a nd the carbonized RDF (cRDF) was steam-activated at 1123 K. The cRDF was al so treated by 3.3 or 5.2 N nitric acid at a boiling temperature for 3 h pri or to the steam-activation. Porous properties of the activated carbons prep ared were determined by the nitrogen adsorption method. The porous structur e of the carbon prepared without the pretreatment of nitric acid was not so developed as a commercial carbon for dioxin adsorption. On the other hand, the carbons prepared via the nitric acid treatment had BET surface areas o f 515 and 828 m(2)/g and more mesopore volumes than the commercial carbon. During the acid treatment, the ash dissolution from cRDFs to nitric acid wa s observed and resulted in the formation of activation sites for developing mesopores. Hence, the carbons prepared could be used to remove dioxins fro m the incinerators. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.