Effect of Activated Time on the Properties of ZnO/AC Composites from Spent Catalysts

After being subjected to thermal treatment by microwave, a carbon-based spent catalyst from vinyl acetate synthesis has been proved to be a good precursor for the production of ZnO/activated carbon (AC) composites. Different operating activated times were found to have effect on the properties of the composites. As the activated time rises, the surface area of the activated carbon that is acting as the catalyst support increases due to the decomposition of the organic deposits that are clogging the porous structure. XRD was used to evaluate the transformation of zinc acetate to zinc oxide after thermal treatment. Both the iodine adsorption capacity and the yield of the resulting composites were calculated and SEM-EDX analysis was used to evaluate the changes in surface morphology.