Key words: phenol, activated carbon, adsorption, desorption, regeneration, sub- and supercritical water
The paper presents the research results of dynamic adsorption of phenol by activated
carbon (AC) in the medium of liquid, sub- and supercritical water (26 °C, 0.1 MPa and
24—400 °C, 25 MPa) and subsequent regeneration of AC under similar conditions. It is
shown that the adsorption—desorption isotherms are characterized by the presence of
hysteresis. An increase in pressure at room temperature leads to an increase in the
adsorption capacity, and an increase in temperature at 25 MPa leads to a decrease in it. The
amount of phenol remaining in the AC after regeneration decreases with increasing
temperature and does not depend on pressure. The relative average rate of phenol desorption
increases sharply at T ≥ 200 °C. It was found that the greatest increase in the specific
surface area and pore volume occurs when AC is treated with supercritical water.