Natural fiber derived activated carbons for industrial emission minimization and capture

Natural fibers including hemp, sisal, flax and industrial natural fiber waste that are con-sidered as "green" alternative sources to prepare low cost, high quality activated carbon comprise this study. Natural fibers were carbonized and subjected to chemical activation to convert them to activated carbon materials. Adsorption isotherm plots, pore size characteristics and the Brunauer, Emmet and Teller (BET) surface areas of natural fiber derived activated carbons were determined to understand the physical adsorption properties. Chemical structures were determined by ultimate and proximate analyses. Porosity was visualized through SEM images. FTIR analysis was used to indicate the main functional groups of activated carbon samples. Industrial natural fiber waste was also used as a precursor material to fabricate activated carbon samples with chemical activation method. The effect of carbonization temperatures, carbonization time and flow rate on the pore structure and physical adsorption parameters of the industrial natural fiber waste have been investigated by using a physisorption analyzer. The results have been optimized and applied for Volatile organic compound (VOC) adsorption. The adsorption properties of the prepared activated carbon samples for toluene have been investigated and compared with commercial adsorbents.