Analysis of factors influencing pore structure development of agricultural and forestry waste-derived activated carbon for adsorption application in gas and liquid phases: A review

Abstract Energy and the environment has long been a topic of concern. Activated carbon (AC) is a widely used high-performance industrial material. Agricultural and forestry waste (AFW) is a sustainable and economical resource for AC production. In the field of AFW-derived AC (AFWAC) research, the characteristics of the pore structure are important indicators of the quality and possible applications of AFWAC. Therefore, it is of great significance to conduct in-depth studies on the factors affecting the pore structure in the preparation process of AFWAC, and to control and predict the properties and extent of the pore structure of AFWAC during the preparation so its performance can also be controlled. In this paper, various preparation methods and condition parameters of AFWAC are reviewed, including carbonization and activation methods, and the effects of AFW types, activator types, activator amount, activation temperature, and activation time on the pore structure of AFWAC are discussed in detail. Second, other properties and an economic analysis of AFWAC are carried out. Finally, the specific application of AFWAC with different pore structure characteristics in gas and liquid phase adsorption is expounded. This review promotes the research of AFWAC and its real-world applications by optimizing different preparation methods and conditions to effectively obtain high-performance, low-cost, and targeted AFWACs suitable for different applications.