Production and characterization of carbonaceous adsorbents from biomass wastes by aqueous phase carbonization

This paper deals with a method to produce carbonaceous adsorbents from biomass using a technique of aqueous phase carbonization (hydrothermal carbonization). A series of laboratory-scale tests to produce carbonaceous materials from existing biomass such as Japanese cedar, which is a typical construction material in Japan, were conducted. The biomass feedstock was subjected to (1) hydrothermal carbonization at 350 degrees C, followed by (2) hydrothermal oxidation at 350 degrees C with the existence of hydrogen peroxide and (3) short-tome heat treatment at 950 degrees C in a closed crucible with no water. Thus-obtained carbonaceous materials were found to have mesoporous structures with ca. 350 m(2)/g of specific surface area and the adsorption capacity for phenol could reach to around three-quarters of that of a commercial activated carbon.