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J.A. DeBarr

Publications and source records attributed to J.A. DeBarr.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2001

Adsorption of sulfur dioxide on ammonia-treated activated carbon fibers

A series of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) and ammonia-treated ACFs prepared from phenolic fiber precursors have been studied to elucidate the role of pore size, pore volume, and pore surface chemistry on adsorption of sulfur dioxide and its catalytic conversion to sulfuric acid. As expected, the incorporation of basic functional groups into the ACFs was shown as an effective method for increasing adsorption of sulfur dioxide. The adsorption capacity for dry SO2 did not follow specific trends; however the adsorption energies calculated from the DR equation were found to increase linearly with nitrogen content for each series of ACFs. Much higher adsorption capacities were achieved for SO2 in the presence of oxygen and water due to its catalytic conversion to H2SO4. The dominant factor for increasing adsorption of SO2 from simulated flue gas for each series of fibers studied was the weight percent of basic nitrogen groups present. In addition, the adsorption energies calculated for dry SO2 were shown to be linearly related to the adsorption capacity of H2SO4 from this flue gas for all fibers. It was shown that optimization of this parameter along with the pore volume results in higher adsorption capacities for removal of SO2 from flue gases. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carbon↗
USGS1997

Production of activated char from Illinois coal for flue gas cleanup

Activated chars were produced from Illinois coal and tested in several flue gas cleanup applications. High-activity chars that showed excellent potential for both SO 2 and NO x removal were prepared from an Illinois No. 2 bituminous coal. The SO 2 (120 °C) and NO x (25 °C) removal performance of one char compared favorably with that of a commercial activated carbon (Calgon Centaur). The NO x removal performance of the same char at 120 °C exceeded that of the Centaur carbon by more than 1 order of magnitude. Novel char preparation methods were developed including oxidation/thermal desorption and hydrogen treatments, which increased and preserved, respectively, the active sites for SO 2 and NO x adsorption. The results of combined SO 2 /NO x removal tests, however, suggest that SO 2 and NO x compete for similar adsorption sites and SO 2 seems to be more strongly adsorbed than NO. A low-activity, low-cost char was also developed for cleanup of incinerator flue gas. A three-step method involving coal preoxidation, pyrolysis, and CO 2 activation was used to produce the char from Illinois coal. Five hundred pounds of the char was tested on a slipstream of flue gas from a commercial incinerator in Germany. The char was effective in removing >97% of the dioxins and furans present in the flue gas; mercury levels were below detectable limits.

Energy and Fuels↗
USGS1997

Adsorption of SO 2 onto oxidized and heat-treated activated carbon fibers (ACFs)

A series of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) and heat-treated oxidized ACFs prepared from phenolic fiber precursors have been studied to elucidate the role of pore size, pore surface chemistry and pore volume for the adsorption of SO 2 and its catalytic conversion to H 2 SO 4 . For untreated ACFs, the initial rate of SO 2 adsorption from flue gas was shown to be inversely related to pore size. At longer times, the amount of SO 2 adsorbed from flue gas was dependent on both the pore size and pore volume. Oxidation of the ACFs, using an aqueous oxidant, decreased their adsorption capacity for SO 2 from flue gas due to a decrease in pore volume and repulsion of the SO 2 from acidic surface groups. If these samples were heat-treated to desorb the oxygen containing function groups, the amount of SO 2 adsorption increased. This increase in adsorption capacity was directly correlated to the amount of CO 2 evolved during heat-treatment of the oxidized ACFs. The amount of SO 2 adsorbed for these samples was related to the pore size, pore surface chemistry and pore volume. This analysis is explained in more detail in this paper.

Carbon↗
USGS1996

Effect of surface area and chemisorbed oxygen on the SO2 adsorption capacity of activated char

The objective of this study was to determine whether activated char produced from Illinois coal could be used effectively to remove sulfur dioxide from coal combustion flue gas. Chars were prepared from a high-volatile Illinois bituminous coal under a wide range of pyrolysis and activation conditions. A novel char preparation technique was developed to prepare chars with SO2 adsorption capacities significantly greater than that of a commercial activated carbon. In general, there was no correlation between SO2 adsorption capacity and surface area. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) was used to determine the nature and extent of carbon-oxygen (C-O) complexes formed on the char surface. TPD data revealed that SO2 adsorption was inversely proportional to the amount of C-O complex. The formation of a stable C-O complex during char preparation may have served only to occupy carbon sites that were otherwise reactive towards SO2 adsorption. A fleeting C(O) complex formed during SO2 adsorption is postulated to be the reaction intermediate necessary for conversion of SO2 to H2SO4. Copyright ?? 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Fuel↗
USGS1996

Application of thermal analysis techniques in activated carbon production

Thermal analysis techniques have been used at the ISGS as an aid in the development and characterization of carbon adsorbents. Promising adsorbents from fly ash, tires, and Illinois coals have been produced for various applications. Process conditions determined in the preparation of gram quantities of carbons were used as guides in the preparation of larger samples. TG techniques developed to characterize the carbon adsorbents included the measurement of the kinetics of SO2 adsorption, the performance of rapid proximate analyses, and the determination of equilibrium methane adsorption capacities. Thermal regeneration of carbons was assessed by TG to predict the life cycle of carbon adsorbents in different applications. TPD was used to determine the nature of surface functional groups and their effect on a carbon's adsorption properties.

ACS Division of Fuel Chemistry, Preprints↗