Polyethylene terephthalate waste‐derived activated carbon for adsorptive desulfurization of dibenzothiophene from model gasoline: Kinetics and isotherms evaluation

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Abstract
The present study concentrates on the preparation of activated carbon (AC) from a low‐cost precursor, namely, polyethylene terephthalate waste, as a potential alternative adsorbent to commercially activated carbon for desulfurization of model gasoline at ambient temperature. Polyethylene terephthalate was carbonized at 450°C, and the produced char was steam activated at 750°C for 90 min to prepare the AC. The morphology, crystallinity, and surface functional groups of as‐synthesized adsorbent were examined by scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The so‐synthesized AC was employed in the adsorptive desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) from model gasoline. The effect of the initial concentration of DBT, AC dose, temperature, and contact time on the removal efficiency of DBT was investigated. The maximum desulfurization level (97.10%) was performed at 40°C using 0.30 g of the AC for 60 min. The Langmuir model best demonstrated the adsorption results with an adsorption capacity of 49.56 mg/g. The pseudo‐second‐order model best described the adsorption kinetics of DBT by the so‐synthesized AC. The obtained consequences exhibited that AC with high desulfurization capability could be synthesized from polyethylene terephthalate waste.

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