Characterization of coal gasification slag-based activated carbon and its potential application in lead removal

Highly porous activated carbons were prepared from a coal gasification slag (CGS) precursor, by KOH activation to remove Pb2+ from aqueous solution. The effects of pretreatment methods and activation parameters on the properties of the activated carbon were investigated, such as KOH/CGS mass ratio, activation temperature and activation time. The results showed that the maximum Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area and total pore volume with the value of 2481 m2 g−1 and of 1.711 cc g−1 were obtained at a KOH/CGS ratio of 3.0 by physical mixing, an activation temperature of 750°C and an activation time of 80 min. SEM, FTIR and EA analyses indicated that pronounced pores existed on the exterior surface of the activated samples, and the contents of H and O decreased due to the loss of surface chemical groups during activation. Experimental data for the Pb2+ adsorption were fitted well by Freundlich equation and a pseudo-second-order model with a maximum experimental adsorption capacity of 141 mg/g. All of the results indicated that CGS could be a promising material to prepare porous activated carbon for Pb2+ removal from wastewater.