%0 Journal Article
%T Development and Environmental Applications of Activated Carbon Cloths
%A Ana Lea Cukierman
%J ISRN Chemical Engineering
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/261523
%X Activated carbon cloths have received growing attention because they offer comparative advantages over the traditional powdered or granular forms of this well-known adsorbent, providing further potential uses for technological innovations in several fields. The present article provides an overview of research studies and advances concerned with the development of activated carbon cloths and their use as adsorbent in environmental applications, mostly reported in the last years. The influence of some fabrics and textile wastes used as precursors, and of main activation process variables on the development and physicochemical, mechanical and/or electrical properties of the resulting activated carbon cloths are first reviewed. Then, investigations dealing with the removal of water and air pollutants by adsorption onto activated carbon cloths, including advances toward optimizing their regeneration after organic vapors saturation, are presented. 1. Introduction Activated carbon in powdered and granular forms is a well-known, versatile adsorbent of widespread use in a broad spectrum of applications, including purification, remediation of polluted aquatic environments, treatment of liquid and gaseous effluents generated in industry, gas storage and delivery, metal recovery, catalysis, and biomedical applications, among various others [1¨C12]. Growing concern and stricter regulations pertaining to environmental pollution have led to the increase of the activated carbon demand, which is forecasted to continue raising in the near future [13, 14]. In the last years, activated carbon cloths (ACCs) have gained increasing interest because they offer comparative advantages over the traditional forms and potentialities for technological innovation in different fields, including their potential use in cell therapy, as a support for stem cell growth [15]. Main advantages arise from the small diameter of the fibers constituting ACC [16]. They include faster adsorption kinetics, higher efficiency, and larger capacity for adsorption due to the higher surface area and pore volume of the ACC. In particular, micropores (<2£¿nm) of ACC are directly connected to the external surface area, thus diminishing heat and mass transfer resistances and lowering pressure drops in flow units [3, 17¨C20]. Besides, activated carbon cloths are light materials that can be arranged in different stable configurations and provide a contiguous carbon form suited for electrical and electrochemical applications [21¨C24]. Moreover, Joule effect heating of ACC offers additional benefits in terms of
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.chemical.engineering/2013/261523/