Regeneration of a Porous Iron-Containing Carbon Adsorbent under Plasma-Catalytic Conditions Assisted by Microwave Irradiation

This article reports experimental data on a double-step technology for processing a model organic contaminant ( m -cresol) adsorbed in the pores of an iron-containing carbon adsorbent (specific surface area 616 m 2 /g) under microwave irradiation. The first step comprised the decomposition of cresol into a hydrogen-containing gas and a carbon residue under plasma-catalytic conditions assisted by microwave irradiation at an induced temperature of 600°C. Cresol was completely converted after 25 min of the MW irradiation. The second step consisted of adsorbent regeneration (by CO 2 treatment under MW irradiation to remove the carbon residue) followed by thermal shock treatment (by decomposition of a pre-adsorbed ammonium hydroxide). After the regeneration, the specific surface area was 500 m 2 /g. The regenerated adsorbent exhibited almost the same cresol adsorption capacity as the starting material.