First synthesis of poly(furfuryl) alcohol precursor-based porous carbon beads as an efficient adsorbent for volatile organic compounds

Furfuryl alcohol (C₅H₆O₂) (FA) was used as the precursor for the synthesis of approximately 1.0 mm sized polymeric beads (PFAB) via suspension polymerization. The polymeric beads were carbonized and activated to synthesize porous carbon beads (PFAB/C/A) as an efficient adsorbent for gaseous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Surface characterization tests revealed the material to be predominantly microporous with the specific surface area measured to be ∼446 m²/g. Raman measurements revealed a graphitic characteristics of PFAB/C/A. Adsorption tests were performed in a fixed tubular packed bed adsorber under different operating conditions: amounts of adsorbents (2–6 g), gas flow rates (0.2–0.4 standard cc per min), adsorption temperatures (40–60 °C), VOC concentrations (2000–53,300 ppm) and types of VOCs (toluene and benzene). The tests revealed high adsorption capacities of the synthesized material i.e., 515 and 350 mg/g for toluene and benzene, respectively at 50 °C. This study has clearly shown that the biomass-based environmentally benign FA can be a potential alternative precursor to the synthetic petro-based polymers presently used for preparing carbon-based adsorbents.