Sorptive reclamation of phenols from coal conversion wastewater

The recovery of phenols from spent activated carbon after use in the sorptive treatment of coal conversion wastewater is economically and ecologically desirable. Phenolic compounds, however, are desorbed and pyrolyzed at comparable rates; an experimental study of thermal desorption has shown that approximately 40% of the adsorbed phenol can be recovered in bench-scale apparatus at an optimum temperature of about 235/sup 0/C. The reclamation process has been successfully modeled assuming first-order pyrolytic decomposition and equilibrium desorption with a Langmuirian isotherm.