Sulphur Chemistry in KOH-SO2 Activation of Fluid Coke and Mercury Adsorption from Aqueous Solutions

The technical feasibility of producing sulphur-impregnated activated carbons (SIACs) from high-sulphur fluid coke by chemical activation was investigated. Using KOH and SO2, the activation process was able to produce SIACs with controllable specific surface area (SBET), pore size distribution and sulphur content. The highest SBET was over 2500 m2/g and the highest sulphur content was 8.1 wt%. K-edge X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy was employed to characterize the sulphur in fluid cokes and SIACs. The results revealed that the sulphur on fluid coke surface was mainly in the form of organic sulphide and thiophene (total 91-95 %), in addition to some sulphate (5 - 9%). The study of KOH-treated fluid coke suggested that KOH was effective in converting organic sulphide and thiophene to water soluble inorganic species which were readily removed by acid and water washing. SO2 treatment of fluid coke added sulphur to fluid coke through SO2-carbon reaction. Elemental sulphur was the main product, while part of the thiophene, sulphide and sulphate in the raw coke remained in the product. In KOH-SO2 activation, disulphide, sulphide, sulphonate and sulphate were identified on SIAC surface; no thiophene was found, suggesting a complete removal of thiophene. Sulphur content in specific forms in SIACs was therefore controllable by varying the ratio of KOH, SO2 and fluid coke. SIACs produced from KOH-SO2 activation showed a comparable Hg2+ adsorption capacity (43 – 72 mg/g) with those reported in the literature (35-100 mg/g) and that of a commercial SIAC (41 mg/g). Although a larger SBET often resulted in a greater Hg2+ adsorption capacity, the benefit started to diminish when SBET was greater than about 1000 m2/g. A statistically significant and positive correlation was found between Hg2+ adsorption capacity and total sulphur content. Elemental sulphur and reduced sulphur were largely responsible for the enhanced Hg2+ adsorption.Ph