The objective of this study was to optimize the experimental conditions of the preparation of activated carbon from sewage sludge using an experimental design methodology. A series of carbonaceous sorbents were prepared by chemical activation with zinc chloride and sulfuric acid. The produced activated carbons were characterized, and their properties (iodine number, specific surface area, micropore volume and pH) were analyzed as a function of the experimental conditions (activation temperature, activation time and activation reagent concentration). The sewage sludge used in this study was taken from the wastewater treatment plant in Damascus (Adra plant). Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied in this study using Matlab software to determine the operating values of the experimental conditions. A second-order model, which was found to be appropriate to predict most of the responses in every experimental region, has been used to describe each response. Optimum values were then determined. The BET surface area varies from 187.5 to 307.0 m2/g for adsorbents produced by ZnCl2 activation and from 184.3 to 297.1 m2/g for adsorbents produced by H2SO4 activation. In order to maximize the surface area, iodine number, and micropore volume of the produced activated carbon, the optimal conditions, within the studied regions, were found to be 600 °C, 31 min and 5 M for ZnCl2 activation and 464 °C, 58 min and 5 M for H2SO4 activation
Arabian journal for science and engineering.
2013.
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