Waste poly(methylene methacrylate) as precursor for activated carbons

Abstract

The evaluation of the possibilities to use of waste poly(methylene methacrylate) (PMMA) in a composition with coal-tar pitch (CTP) for the preparation of activated carbons was carried out. The polymer-pitch compositions (PMMA-CTP), containing from 10 to 50 wt % of waste PMMA were homogenized at 270 °C, for 1 hour. PMMA-CTP compositions were carbonized and activated with steam, carbon dioxide or potassium hydroxide. It was found that the activated carbon obtained from the composition containing 50 wt % of waste PMMA in the activation process with KOH was characterized by the highest iodine number (IN = 2260 mg/g), methylene blue number (MB = 33 cm 3), specific surface area (BET = 3134 m 2 /g), micropores (1.033 cm 3 /g) and mesopores (0.160 cm 3 /g) volume.