Activated carbon was prepared from pre-carbonized petroleum coke. Textural properties were determined from studies of the adsorption of nitrogen at 77 K and the surface chemistry was obtained using the Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer technique and the Boehm titration process. The adsorption of three aromatic compounds, namely phenol (P), p-nitrophenol (PNP) and benzoic acid (BA) onto APC in aqueous solution was studied in a batch system with respect to contact time, pH, initial concentration of solutes and temperature. Active carbon APC obtained was found to possess a high surface area and a predominantly microporous structure; it also had an acidic surface character. The experimental data fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetic model well; also, the intraparticle diffusion was the only controlling process in determining the adsorption of the three pollutants investigated. The adsorption data fit well with the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The uptake of the three pollutants was found to be strongly dependent on the pH value and the temperature of the solution. Most of the experiments were conducted at pH 7; the pH(PZC) of the active carbon under study was 5.0; the surface of the active carbon was negatively charged. The thermodynamic parameters evaluated for APC revealed that the adsorption of P was spontaneous and exothermic in nature, while PNP and BA showed no-spontaneity of the adsorption process and that process was endothermic in nature.

Potassium hydroxide activated carbons were prepared from Egyptian petroleum cokes with different KOH/coke ratios and at different activation temperatures and times. The textural properties were determined by adsorption of nitrogen at -196℃. The adsorption of iodine and methylene blue was also investigated at 30℃. The surface area and the non-micropore volume increased whereas the micropore volume decreased with the increase of the ratio KOH/coke. Also the surface area and porosity increased with the rise of activation temperature from 500 to 800℃. Textural parameter considerably increased with the increase of activation time from 1 to 3 h. Further increasing of activation time from 3 to 4 h was associated with a less pronounced increase in textural parameters. The adsorption of iodine shows the same trend of surface area and porosity change exhibited by nitrogen adsorption, with KOH/coke ratio and temperature of activation. Adsorption of methylene blue follows pseudo-first-order kinetics and its equilibrium adsorption follows Langmuir and D-R models.

Chemically activated carbons were prepared from maize cobs, using phosphoric acid of variable concentration. The texturalparameters of the activated carbons were determined from the nitrogen adsorption isotherms measured at 77K. The chemistryof the carbon surface was determined by measuring the surface pH, the pHPZC and the concentration of the carbon - oxygengroups of the acid type on the carbon surface. Kinetics of Cr(VI) sorption/reduction was investigated at 303K. Two processeswere investigated in terms of kinetics and equilibrium namely; Cr(VI) removal and chromium sorption were studied at variousinitial pH (1-7). Removal of Cr(VI) shows a maximum at pH 2.5. At pH<2.5, sorption decreases because of the protoncompetition with evolved Cr(III) for ion exchange sites. The decrease of sorption at pH>2.5 is due to proton insufficiencyand to the decrease of the extent of Cr(VI) reduction. The chemistry of the surface of activated carbon is an important factorin determining its adsorption capacity from aqueous solutions particularly when the sorption process involves ion exchange.

Oxidized activated carbons were prepared by reacting steam-activated carbon developed from pecan shells with nitric acid of varying strength (15, 30, 45 and 60%). The textural properties and the chemistry of the surface of the non-oxidized and of the oxidized carbons were determined from nitrogen adsorption and base neutralization capacities. The uptake of Pb(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous solution by these carbons was determined by kinetic and equilibrium experiments as well as by the column method. Treatment with nitric acid brought about drastic decrease in surface area and remarkable increase in the pore size of the carbon with these changes depending on the strength of nitric acid. Nitric acid increased the surface acidity by developing new surface oxygen functional groups of acidic nature. HNO3-oxidized carbons exhibited high adsorption capacities for Pb(II) and Cd(II). The adsorption of these ions increased with the decrease of the surface pH of the carbon and with the increase of the solution pH from 2.5 to 6 and 7. The amount adsorbed from lead and cadmium was also related to the amount of surface acidity, the pH of the point of zero charge and on some metal ion parameters. Cadmium and lead uptake by the investigated carbons followed pseudo-second order model and the equilibrium sorption data fitted Langmuir adsorption model.

Four stream- activated carbons were prepared by carbonizing apricot stones at 600℃ followed by gasification with steam at 950℃ to burn-off's=17, 32, 49 and 65%. The textural parameters of these activated carbons were determined from nitrogen adsorption results at 77 K. The total pore volume and the mean pore radius increased with the increase of % burn-off whereas the surface area increased with the increase of burn- off from 17 to 32 and further to 49%. Further increase of burn-off to 65% was associated with a considerable decrease in surface area as a result of pronounced pore widening due to pore erosion. The surface pH values of the carbons investigated range between 7.1 and 8.2. The adsorption of oxamyl onto the activated carbon followed pseudo-second order kinetics and the equilibrium adsorption isotherms fitted Langmuir adsorption model. The adsorption of oxamyl proved to be of the physical type and took place in non-micropores. The amount of oxamyl adsorbed expressed as qm depends to a large extent to the surface area located in non-micropores S∝ n, where a straight line relationship passing through the origin was obtained.

Treatment of water hyacinth with sulphuric acid produces carbonaceous materials that have been used to remove Cu(II) and Cd (II) ions from aqueous solutions. Untreated water hyacinth was also used for the subject of comparison. The textural properties of the carbonaceous materials were determined from nitrogen adsorption at 77 K. The optimum pH for the sorption of Cu (II) and Cd (II) ions on the investigated sorbents was determined. Dynamic adsorption measurements have been taken at 298 K whereas equilibrium measurements were carried out at 298, 313 and 323 K. The adsorption of nitrogen at 77 K on the untreated sample was too low and the surface areas of the treated samples 2, 3 and 4 were found between 70-208 m2/g. The total pore volumes of these samples which were determined for the carbonaceous materials investigated were found to be 0.076-0.140 ml/g. The kinetic adsorption data of Cu (II) and Cd(II) were applicable to both pseudo - first and pseudo-second order but fit more the latter order. The equilibrium adsorption data were found to fit Freundlich and Langmiur equations. The values of DG, DH and DS are all negative indicating the feasibility and the spontaneous nature of the sorption of Cu (II) and Cd (II) ions by the sorbents investigated.

The activated carbon "C" was obtained by carbonization followed by activation with steam at 40% of burn-off. Oxidized carbons C-N, C-P and C-H were obtained by oxidizing the activated carbon C with concentrated nitric acid, ammonium peroxysulfate and hydrogen peroxide, respectively. The textural properties of the carbons were determined from nitrogen adsorption at 77 K. The acidic surface functional groups were determined by pH titration, base neutralization capacity and electrophoretic mobility measurements. The cation exchange capacities of un-oxidized and oxidized carbons were determined by the removal of Cu(II) and Ni(II) from their aqueous solutions. The surface area and the total pore volume decreased but the pore radius increased by the treatment of activated carbon with oxidizing agents. These changes were more pronounced in case of oxidation with HNO3. The surface pH of un-oxidized carbon was basic whereas those of the oxidized derivative were acidic. The removal of Cu(II) and Ni(II) was pH dependent and the maximum removal of the both ions was obtained at pH of 5-6. Cu(II) was more adsorbed, a phenomenon which was ascribed to its particular electronic configuration.

Carbonization products C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5 were prepared by the carbonization of date pit in limited air, at 500, 600, 700, 800 and 1000℃, respectively. C1-V-600, C3-V-600, C1-V-1000 and C3-V-1000 were prepared by thermal treatment of C1 and C3 under vacuum at 600 and 1000℃. The textural properties were determined from nitrogen adsorption at 77 K and from carbon dioxide adsorption at 298 K. The surface pH, the FTIR spectra and the acid and base neutralization capacities of some carbons were investigated. The amounts of surface oxygen were determined by out-gassing the carbon-oxygen groups on the surface as CO2 and CO. The adsorption of water vapor at 308 K on C1, C2, C3 and C4 was measured and the decomposition of H2O2 at 308 K was also investigated on C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5. The surface area and the total pore volume decreased with the rise of the carbonization temperature from 500 to 1000℃. The adsorption of water vapor is independent on the textural properties, while it is related to the amount of acidic carbon-oxygen groups on the surface. The catalytic activity of H2O2 decomposition does not depend on the textural properties, but directly related to the amount of basic carbon-oxygen complexes out-gassed as CO, at high temperatures.

The carbon sample "O", phosphoric acid-activated carbon "OP", zinc chloride-activated carbon "OZ", and two steam activated carbons "OS" and "OS2" with different burn-off of 25% and 58% respectively, were prepared from olive stones. The textural properties were determined from the results of nitrogen adsorption at 77 K and by analyzing these results through the application of different adsorption models. The chemistry of the carbon surfaces was determined from the base neutralization capacities, acid neutralization capacity and surface pH. The sorption of Pb2+ ions on to the carbons prepared was followed under dynamic and equilibrium conditions. The differences between the values of the textural parameters were attributed to the inapplicability of some adsorption models and to the heterogeneity of the microporous carbons. The sorption of Pb2+ ions is favored on carbon and activated carbons. However, chemically activated carbons are more effective compared with steam-activated ones. The sorption of Pb2+ ions were related to the chemistry of the surface rather than to the textural properties.