Carbonaceous adsorbents prepared by physical activation of pine sawdust and their application for removal of NO2 in dry and wet conditions.

Carbonaceous adsorbents from sawdust pellets from coniferous trees (pines) were obtained by CO(2) activation and used as nitrogen dioxide adsorbents. Activation was performed at 800 degrees C for four different periods of time (30, 60, 90 and 120 min). The effect of NO(2) adsorption in dry and wet conditions on the sorption ability of the activated samples obtained was tested. The results have shown that NO(2) sorption properties of the activates increase with increasing time of activation and reach maximum for the samples activated for 90 min. On the basis of measurements in dry and wet conditions, the presence of water was found to increase the NO(2) breakthrough capacity. The sorption capacity of the adsorbents obtained towards NO(2) was proved to be determined by the surface chemistry and the reactions taking place on the surface rather than by the specific surface area development. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.