Energy-saving and emission reduction are the main targets in the 12th Five-year plans of China. The goals will drive development of a low-carbon economy in the country. New research of Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS-IPE) showed a method to produce activated carbon from furfural production waste. Results of the research have been published on Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy.

N2 adsorption and desorption of the activated carbon were characterized by calculating their Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas. Chemical and physical properties including the surface functional groups and surface morphology were measured by FT-IR analysis and scanning electron microscope. Gas adsorption was also studied in the work.

The BET surface area and pore volume of the prepared activated carbon were 2218m2/g and 1.04cm3/g, respectively. The structure of the product was microporous. The hydrogen adsorption capacity of the sample produced at 800oC was in accord with earlier literature. This work showed potential in high-efficiency conversion of furfural production waste.