Desulfurization Properties of Activated Carbon Fibers

Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) are one of the most promising adsorbents due to their outstanding properties, such as more exposed adsorption surface, narrower pore size distribution, fast adsorption rate and flexibility, in comparison with granular activated carbon and activated carbon powder. In this work, ACFs manufactured from various raw materials were studied and their pore structures and sulfur dioxide removal performance under dry and humid conditions were investigated. From the ACFs studied in this paper, larger surface area was found correspond to higher total pore volume and larger DA micropore diameter. In dry air, breakthrough capacity of ACFs with sulfur dioxide was found to be proportionately dependent on micropore ratio and pore size distribution. Although powdered activated carbon (PAC) showed higher breakthrough capacity, its adsorption rate was slower than ACFs due to the difference of the pore structure. The presence of water vapor in the air stream greatly increased SO2 adsorption capacities of ACFs but affected their utilization differently.