Author/Authors :
JAHANGIRI، MEHDI نويسنده Research Center for Health Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran , , Adl، Javad نويسنده 2Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , , Shahtaheri، Seyyed Jamaleddin نويسنده Departments of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, and Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , , Rashidi، Alimorad نويسنده , , Ghorbanali، Amir نويسنده Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran , , Kakooe، Hossein نويسنده Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , , RAHIMI FORUSHANI، ABBAS نويسنده Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. , , Ganjali، Mohammad Reza نويسنده ,
Abstract :
In this study a composite of activated carbon and carbon nanofiber (AC/CNF) was prepared to improve the
performance of activated carbon (AC) for adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and its utilization for
respirator cartridges. Activated carbon was impregnated with a nickel nitrate catalyst precursor and carbon
nanofibers (CNF) were deposited directly on the AC surface using catalytic chemical vapor deposition. Deposited
CNFs on catalyst particles in AC micropores, were activated by CO2 to recover the surface area and micropores.
Surface and textural characterizations of the prepared composites were investigated using Brunauer, Emmett and
Teller’s (BET) technique and electron microscopy respectively. Prepared composite adsorbent was tested for
benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) adsorption and then employed in an organic respirator cartridge in granular
form. Adsorption studies were conducted by passing air samples through the adsorbents in a glass column at an
adjustable flow rate. Finally, any adsorbed species not retained by the adsorbents in the column were trapped in a
charcoal sorbent tube and analyzed by gas chromatography. CNFs with a very thin diameter of about 10-20 nm
were formed uniformly on the AC/CNF. The breakthrough time for cartridges prepared with CO2 activated AC/CNF
was 117 minutes which are significantly longer than for those cartridges prepared with walnut shell- based
activated carbon with the same weight of adsorbents. This study showed that a granular form CO2 activated AC/
CNF composite could be a very effective alternate adsorbent for respirator cartridges due to its larger adsorption
capacities and lower weight.
