Patent ID: 6030922
Filing Date: 2000-02-29
Classification: B01J

Abstract:
A method for producing activated carbon from a carbon-containing sludge raw material, said method comprising the steps of:drying, crushing and sieving a carbon-containing sludge to form a dried sludge material;chemically activating the dried sludge material to form a chemically-activated sludge material;crushing and drying the chemically-activated sludge material to form a dry crushed chemically-activated material;exposing the dry crushed chemically-activated material to light in an environment having a relative humidity of at least 50 percent to form a light-treated chemically-activated sludge material;pyrolyzing the light-treated chemically-activated sludge material at an elevated temperature effective to form a pyrolyzed sludge material of increased microporosity, as compared to the light-treated chemically-activated sludge material prior to pyrolysis;cooling, crushing, rinsing and drying the pyrolyzed sludge material; andtreating the cooled, crushed, rinsed and dried pyrolyzed sludge material with an activating gas to remove residual gases, followed by heating the treated pyrolyzed sludge material in the presence of the activating gas to at least partially oxidize the surface and expand the pores of the treated pyrolyzed sludge material forming the activated carbon.