PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ACTIVATED CARBONS FROM SCRAP TIRES, ALMOND SHELLS, AND ILLINOIS COAL

Scrap tires, almond shells, and high sulfur coal are examples of materials that are currently an environmental liability, but which have potential as raw materials for the production of value-added solid products. In this study, activated carbons were prepared by first pyrolyzing these materials, and then partially gasifying the pyrolysis chars with steam. The pyrolysis chars were characterized by solid state C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance. Nitrogen adsorption experiments were performed on the chars before and after steam activation. Activation increased the surface areas of chars from all three raw materials. Surface areas greater than 400 m2/g were obtained when burnoff was above 40%. A 670 m2/g carbon was prepared from Illinois No. 5 coal at 52% burnoff. The results of this study indicate that the conversion of these environmentally problematic materials to activated carbon is a viable strategy for resource recovery and improving pyrolysis economics.