A Study on the Adsorption Characteristics of Benzene Using Activated Carbon from Waste Timber

본 연구에서는 국내에서 대표적으로 버려지는 폐벌목 중 잣나무에서 만든 활성탄을 이용하여 벤젠에 대한 정지(static)흡착 실험을 수행하였다. 7.999 kPa에 이르는 압력 범위 내에서 온도 조건을 변화시켜 가며 303.15, 318.15, 333.15 K에서 흡착실험을 진행하였다. 등온흡착곡선은 Langmuir 등온흡착식, Freundlich 등온흡착식, Toth 등온흡착식을 적용하여 비교하였다. 벤젠의 흡착량(q)을 측정한 결과 Langmuir 등온흡착식과 Toth 등온흡착식으로 적용한 등온흡착곡선의 정확도가 높은 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 Langmuir 등온흡착식의 $q_{max}$ 값을 이용하여 흡착제의 흡착량을 비교하였다. 또한, 폐벌목 활성탄과 상용활성탄의 세공 발달 여부를 비교하기 위해 주사전자현미경(scanning electron microscopy, SEM) 사진을 관찰하였다. SEM 사진 관찰 결과, 폐벌목 활성탄이 국내 외 상용활성탄(DARCO A.C., SPG-100 A.C.)에 비해 세공발달 정도가 우수하며, 벤젠흡착량(q)이 높은 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 본 연구 결과를 통해 폐벌목 활성탄의 상용화 가능성을 검증할 수 있었다. In this study, experiments on the static adsorption of benzene were carried out using activated carbon made from Pinus koraiensis which is normally discarded waste timber in South Korea. The experiment were performed at 303.15 K, 318.15 K and 333.15 K under the pressure up to 7.999 kPa. Isothermal adsorption curves were obtained using Langmuir isotherm, Freundlich isotherm and Toth isotherm for comparison. Based on the fitting, the adsorption quantity of Benzene (q), the isothermal adsorption curves obtained from Langmuir isotherm and Toth isotherm showed the higher accuracy. Although there was little difference in accuracy between result from Langmuir isotherm and that from Toth isotherm, the adsorption quantity of Benzene (q) was expressed in terms of Langmuir isotherm because less parameters were required for Langmuir isotherm than for Toth isotherm. Moreover SEM images of the activated carbon from Pinus koraiensis and the commercial activated carbon were taken to observe the pore size development. The results showed that the perforation development of activated carbon from Pinus koraiensis (waste timber) was better than that of commercial activated carbon (DARCO A.C., SPG-100 A.C.). Adsorption quantity of benzene on activated carbon from Pinus koraiensis was confirmed to be higher than that on commercial activated carbon. Therefore, we may conclude that it is feasible to commercialize the process to manufacturing activated carbon from waste timber.