ACTIVATED-CARBON PRODUCTION FROM CREOSOTE-TREATED WASTE WOOD

A method is proposed to convert creosote-treated waste wood into high-gradegranular activated carbon, with surface area of 900-1800 m2/gram. Creosote,widely used to protect wood, is a hazardous substance, ID# NA9189. Creosotetreated waste wood consists of utility poles, pier posts, and railroad ties. InNew Jersey about 50,000 ton/year are collected, while over the entire USA, anestimated 1.5 M tons/year are collected. There is no current solution forneutralization or utilization of this hazardous waste. Controlled temperatureand heating rates (both relatively low ) are used in a fluid-bed pyrolysis unit.The pyrolysis process endeavors to maximize the car-producing and tar-to-car producing chemical roumatrix. A gas combustor is coupled with the pyrolysis unit, using the off gasgenerated by the retort. The combustion product gas, with reduced temperature,serves to fluidize the retort. Overall low temperatures ensure low NOxemissions. The process is energetically self-sufficient. The objective of PhaseI work is to demonstrate feasibility in a small 10 kg/hr laboratory scale unit.