Economics, activated carbon

Canadell JG, Le Quere C, Raupach MR et al (2007) Contributions to accelerating atmospheric CO2 growth from economic activity, carbon intensity, and efficiency of natural sinks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104 18866-18870... 

The removal of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from air is most often accompHshed by TSA. Air streams needing treatment can be found in most chemical and manufacturing plants, especially those using solvents. At concentrations from 500 to 15,000 ppm, recovery of the VOC from steam used to regenerate activated carbon adsorbent thermally is economically justified. Concentrations above 15,000 ppm ate typically in the explosive range and... 

Activated carbon of high absorptive capacity is suitable for use as a catalyst it need not be treated with metallic salt or other substances. If starting materials of high purity are employed, excellent and economic catalyst efficiency is obtained. 

Solvent Recovery. Most of the activated carbon used in gas-phase applications is employed to prevent the release of volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. Much of this use has been in response to environmental regulations, but recovery and recycling of solvents from a range of industrial processes such as printing, coating, and extmsion of fibers also provides substantial economic benefits. 

In summary, heat-driven cycles for cooling or heat pumping can have energy saving and environmental benefits. There are also niche applications in developing countries or remote areas. Adsorption cycles using active carbons are one of a number of approaches that might be economically viable. 

Engineering Considerations To effect the good engineering design of an activated carbon adsorption system, it is first necessary to obtain information on the following the actual cubic feet per minute (ACFM) of air to be processed by the adsorber, the temperature of gas stream, the material(s) to be absorbed, the concentration of the material to be adsorbed, and if the intended application is air pollution control such as odor control - then the odor threshold of the material to be adsorbed. In addition, data is needed on the presence of other constituents in the gas stream, and whether or not solvent recovery is economical. 

Phenol is the starting material for numerous intermediates and finished products. About 90% of the worldwide production of phenol is by Hock process (cumene oxidation process) and the rest by toluene oxidation process. Both the commercial processes for phenol production are multi step processes and thereby inherently unclean [1]. Therefore, there is need for a cleaner production method for phenol, which is economically and environmentally viable. There is great interest amongst researchers to develop a new method for the synthesis of phenol in a one step process [2]. Activated carbon materials, which have large surface areas, have been used as adsorbents, catalysts and catalyst supports [3,4], Activated carbons also have favorable hydrophobicity/ hydrophilicity, which make them suitable for the benzene hydroxylation. Transition metals have been widely used as catalytically active materials for the oxidation/hydroxylation of various aromatic compounds. 

Palladium on a purified activated carbon support has been selected as a very suitable catalyst for the reaction. We have reported that the performance of this catalyst looks very promising and that a CFC hydrogenolysis plant based on this catalyst is both technically and economically feasible [3-5]. This paper deals with the stability of the selected catalyst, the long term influence of the hydrogen to CCI2F2 feed ratio on the catalyst performance and the influence of the possible recycle components methane and CHCIF2 on the performance of the catalyst. 

The degree to which industrialized societies have dematerialized can be seen from Figure 1.3, in which the amount of material consumed (expressed as carbon from fossil feedstocks used) per unit of added value (using gross domestic product as a measure of economic activity) has declined steadily over the past 30 years of industrial development. 

Barer SJ, Stem KM (1988) Sources and economics of carbon dioxide. In Ayers WM (ed) Catalytic activation of carbon dioxide. American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C. p 1... 

Activated carbon may be used as a powder, in which form it is mixed in with the liquid to be treated, and then removed by filtration. It may also be used in granular form. When the use of carbon is low, it is normally economic to regenerate it, and this is usually the case with powder. Granular carbon is normally regenerated after use. Because it has a low affinity for water, activated carbon may preferentially adsorb components from aqueous solution or from moist gases. 

Activated carbon adsorption is mainly a waste concentration method. The exhausted carbon must be regenerated or disposed of as hazardous waste. For GAC consumptions larger than 2000 Ib/day, onsite regeneration may be economically justified [7]. Thermal regeneration is the most common method for GAC reactivation, although other methods such as washing the exhausted GAC with acid, alkaline, solvent, or steam are sometimes practiced for specific applications [17]. 

For removing low levels of priority metal pollutants from wastewater, using ferric chloride has been shown to be an effective and economical method [41]. The ferric salt forms iron oxyhydroxide, an amorphous precipitate in the wastewater. Pollutants are adsorbed onto and trapped within this precipitate, which is then settled out, leaving a clear effluent. The equipment is identical to that for metal hydroxide precipitation. Trace elements such as arsenic, selenium, chromium, cadmium, and lead can be removed by this method at varying pH values. Alternative methods of metals removal include ion exchange, oxidation or reduction, reverse osmosis, and activated carbon. 

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