Preparation of Activated Carbon by Chemical Treatment of Spent Lubricant Oil with Residual Wastes (Blow-Down) of Mishraq Sulfur Company

Abstract

The aim of this study is to prepare activated carbon from waste materials
characterized by their environmental hazardous and polluted effect; those are spent lubricant
oil (SLO) and Mishraq blow down (Mbd) the side product from Mishraq Sulfur Company.
Those two materials were chosen as starting materials for activated carbon preparation.
The laboratory work include the preparation of the activated carbon via two
treatments, the first includes thermal treatment of (SLO) that was already oxidized under
certain experimental conditions with certain percentages of (Mbd). Sample mixtures were
heated at 170oC for different time intervals using 1%(wt/wt) anhydrous aluminum chloride as
catalyst. The second treatment includes thermal treatment of oxidized (SLO) with different
percentages of (Mbd), the mixtures were heated at 300oC for certain time intervals under
additionally air stream oxidation condition. Products possessing highest asphaltene contents
were chosen as starting matters for activated carbon preparation. They were simply and
vacuum distilled respectively. The remained heavy material was treated with potassium
hydroxide in (1:2) at 550±50oC for 3hrs. The prepared carbonaceous product was then
purified and its activity was determined by adsorption ability, ash content, bulk density and
humidity content.