Nanoporous brown coal adsorbents prepared by alkaline activation with thermal shock

The properties of nanoporous adsorbents prepared from brown coal by alkaline activation with thermal shock (800°C) were studied. The dependences of the value of SBET and the volumes of macropores, mesopores, micropores, and pores to 1 nm in diameter in the nanoporous adsorbents on isothermal exposure time (to 90 min) and the nature of alkali (LiOH, NaOH, and KOH) were determined. The comparison of changes in pore volumes and pore size distributions indicated that the adsorbent with the most developed subnanopore structure was formed at the initial stage (to 10 min) of activation. In this material, about a half of the total pore volume consisted of pores with diameters to 1 nm.