(697b) Process Intensification for Synthesis of Monodisperse Carbon Gel Beads for Wastewater Treatment

Monodisperse carbon cryogel beads (CC beads) with developed mesoporosity and controlled particle size were successfully synthesized through the injection of a resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aqueous solution into an oil phase to form RF hydrogel beads, followed by freeze-drying and pyrolysis in an inert atmosphere. In this synthesis, by using a process intensification technique, monodisperse RF hydrogel beads were prepared as precursors of the CC beads. Compared to carbon cryogel microspheres (CC microspheres) which can be synthesized by means of the conventional inverse emulsion polymerization, CC beads were found to be monodisperse. The standard deviation of the particle size distribution of the CC beads was less than 20 % of their average diameter. By changing the injection rate of the RF solution, it was possible to control the particle diameter of the CC beads in the range of 200um to 1000um. The performance of the prepared CC beads was examined by using them as supporting materials of catalyst for wastewater treatment.