NaOH Regeneration of Pb and Phenol-Laden Activated Carbon. I. Batch Study Results

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Abstract
Granular activated carbon (GAC) has been used to remove organics and metals simultaneously from wastewaters (4). For a regeneration procedure to be effective on GAC containing both metals and organics, it must remove both the metals and organic compounds. In this study, GAC saturated with Pb and phenol was regenerated using an NaOH rinse in batch mode. Four variables were investigated: 1) regenerant concentration (0, 0.1, and 1.0 N), 2) regenerant to carbon mass ratio (5:1 and 10:1), 3) regenerant temperature (22 and 80°C), and 4) regeneration time (0.33, 1, 3, 7, and 21 days). Maximum regenerations of 47% for Pb and 48% for phenol were observed. The 1.0 N NaOH regenerated a higher percentage of both Pb and phenol when compared to the other regenerants. The 10:1 regenerant to carbon ratio resulted in increased regeneration over the 5:1 regenerations. Pb regeneration was slightly higher at 80°C than at 22°C whereas phenol regeneration was slightly lower at 80°C than at 22°C. Maximum regenerations for both Pb and phenol were observed within the first day of regeneration, in most cases within the first 8 hours.