Activated carbons with well-developed mesoporosity prepared by activation with different alkali salts

Six activated carbons (ACs) were prepared employing different alkali salts, including K2CO3, Na2CO3, K2SiO3, Na2SiO3, K2B4O7 and Na2Al2O4 as activating agents. The main advantage of application of these salts was that the corrosion of activating agents on the equipment decreased in comparison with that of KOH and NaOH. The ACs prepared by K2CO3, K2SiO3 and Na2Al2O4 presented large specific surface area of 2394.7 m(2) g(-1), 1770.6 m(2) g(-1), 1329.1 m(2) g(-1), respectively. The ACs obtained by K2B4O7 activation exhibited a highest mesoporous ratio of 72.58%. The adsorption capacity toward acid brilliant scarlet onto the ACs by K2CO3 activation was 2500 mg g(-1). These results indicated that these salts could be used as effective activating agents to produce ACs with high surface area as well as highly developed mesoporous structure. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.