SUITABILITY OF PLASTIC WASTES AND COAL-TAR PITCH AS PRECURSORS OF CARBON MATERIALS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS

Activated carbons were prepared from chars obtained by carbonization of blends of a coal-tar pitch (CTP) and different polymers (1:1 w/w) at 800 ºC and, then, by activation with steam at 50 % burn-off. The polymers selected were: PET, PAN, PS and ABS. The porous structure of the activated carbons was determined from the adsorption of nitrogen at 77 K. All the activated carbons were microporous materials. However, nitrogen adsorption differs substantially from one activated carbon to another. While the polymers are responsible for the textural characteristics that are suitable for adsorption applications, CTP contributes to increasing the char yield without causing any significant loss in its adsorption properties. Among the polymers tested, PET and PAN were found to be the most suitable polymers for blending with CTP