Evaporative emission generated through the fuel supply system of a gasoline automobile is prevented into the atmosphere through an activated carbon canister system. In this study, the oxygen functional group of activated carbon was controlled using a simple gas phase treatment to improve evaporative emission reduction performance, and the adsorption/desorption performance of evaporative emissions was evaluated according to microwave heating conditions. Microwave heating was used to remove the oxygen functional group of the activated carbon efficiently. Microwave heating was found to remove oxygen functional groups in a short treatment time (1–7 min). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were employed to investigate modifying the oxygen functional group of the activated carbon. Using N2/ 77K adsorption/desorption isotherm, the textural properties of the activated carbon according to microwave heating conditions were examined. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) equation was used to calculate the specific surface area of the activated carbon, and the Dubinin–Radushkevich (DR) equation was used to calculate the micropore volume of activated carbon. Microwave heating effectively increased the butane working capacity, which is the neat adsorption capacity of activated carbon, from 7.12 g/100 ml to a maximum of 8.04 g/100 ml.

Facile microwave treatment of activated carbons and its effects on hydrocarbon adsorptiondesorption behaviors
    Abstract
    1 Introduction
    2 Experimental
        2.1 Materials and microwave heating
        2.2 Characterization
        2.3 Butane working capacity
    3 Results and discussion
        3.1 Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy
        3.2 X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
        3.3 Scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
        3.4 N277K adsorption–desorption isotherm and textural properties
        3.5 Butane working capacity
    4 Conclusions
    Anchor 15
    References

• Jin‑Young Lee(Department of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Jeonju University, Jeonju 55069, Republic of Korea)
• Hye‑Min Lee(Convergence Research Division, Korea Carbon Industry Promotion Agency, Jeonju 54853, Republic of Korea)
• Byung‑Joo Kim(Department of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Jeonju University, Jeonju 55069, Republic of Korea)