Effect of Preparation Conditions on the Property Cu/AC Adsorbents for Phosphine Adsorption

Abstract

Copper-based activated carbon adsorbents (Cu/AC) were prepared and used to investigate the effects of various copper precursors, impregnation solution concentration, and calcination temperature on phosphine (PH₃) adsorption removal from yellow phosphorus tail gas. N₂ adsorption isotherm and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) were used for characterizing the Cu/AC adsorbents. It can be seen that the Cu(N)/AC adsorbent prepared from the Cu(NO₃)₂ precursor has higher PH₃ breakthrough adsorption capacity than other three adsorbent because the surface copper status of it is mainly CuO. Fresh activated carbon requires an optimal impregnation solution concentration (0.05 mol/L) to reach this optimal PH₃ breakthrough adsorption capacity (78.62 mg/g). The result shows that the surface chemical characteristics (Cu content) of activated carbon is more important than the physical ones (specific surface or pore volume) for the PH₃ adsorption performance. When the calcination temperature is 350°C, the Cu(N)/AC adsorbent has the biggest PH₃ breakthrough adsorbed amount of 112.38 mg/g. The present study confirmed that the Cu/AC adsorbents would be one of the candidates for PH₃ adsorption removal from yellow phosphorus tail gas.

Keywords:

• calcination temperature
• copper precursor
• Cu/AC adsorbent
• impregnation solution concentration
• PH₃ adsorption

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from the Key Program of National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) (2008AA062602), the Young and Middle-aged Academic and Technical Back-up Personnel Program of Yunnan Province (2007PY01-10), and the Analysis and Measurement Foundation of Kunming University of Science & Technology.