The subject of this disclosure may relate generally to forming activated or devolatilized carbon by pressurized pyrolysis from coal or biomass and its methods of use for capturing PFAS in aqueous environments and its methods of use for forming soil fertilizers.

The present disclosure provides biorefining systems for co-producing activated carbon along with primary products. A host plant converts a feedstock comprising biomass into primary products and carbon-containing co-products; a modular reactor system pyrolyzes and activates the co-products, to generate activated carbon and pyrolysis off-gas; and an oxidation unit oxidizes the pyrolysis off-gas, generating CO.sub.2, H.sub.2O, and energy. The energy is recycled and utilized in the host plant, and the CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2O may be recycled to the reactor system as an activation agent. The host plant may be a saw mill, a pulp and paper plant, a corn wet or dry mill, a sugar production facility, or a food or beverage plant, for example. In some embodiments, the activated carbon is utilized at the host plant to purify one or more primary products, to purify water, to treat a liquid waste stream, and/or to treat a vapor waste stream.

The present disclosure provides biorefining systems for co-producing activated carbon along with primary products. A host plant converts a feedstock comprising biomass into primary products and carbon-containing co-products; a modular reactor system pyrolyzes and activates the co-products, to generate activated carbon and pyrolysis off-gas; and an oxidation unit oxidizes the pyrolysis off-gas, generating CO.sub.2, H.sub.2O, and energy. The energy is recycled and utilized in the host plant, and the CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2O may be recycled to the reactor system as an activation agent. The host plant may be a saw mill, a pulp and paper plant, a corn wet or dry mill, a sugar production facility, or a food or beverage plant, for example. In some embodiments, the activated carbon is utilized at the host plant to purify one or more primary products, to purify water, to treat a liquid waste stream, and/or to treat a vapor waste stream.

A method for producing activated carbon and silica and recycling resources includes producing the activated carbon by at least performing a first carbonization heat-treatment on a carbon precursor, treating the heat-treated carbon precursor with an activating agent that includes a first alkali metal salt to produce a first mixture, and washing and drying the first mixture to obtain the activated carbon and waste liquid. The method further includes producing the silica by at least performing a second carbonization heat-treatment on a biomass-derived raw material that includes the silica, treating the biomass-derived raw material with a second alkaline solution to produce a second mixture and separating residues to obtain a filtrate, neutralizing the filtrate and performing a solid-liquid separation on the neutralized filtrate, performing an ion-exchange between the waste liquid and preliminary alkaline solution, and using the ion-exchanged waste liquid toward the activating agent using the ion-exchanged preliminary alkaline solution toward the second alkaline solution.

A method for producing activated carbon and silica and recycling resources includes producing the activated carbon by at least performing a first carbonization heat-treatment on a carbon precursor, treating the heat-treated carbon precursor with an activating agent that includes a first alkali metal salt to produce a first mixture, and washing and drying the first mixture to obtain the activated carbon and waste liquid. The method further includes producing the silica by at least performing a second carbonization heat-treatment on a biomass-derived raw material that includes the silica, treating the biomass-derived raw material with a second alkaline solution to produce a second mixture and separating residues to obtain a filtrate, neutralizing the filtrate and performing a solid-liquid separation on the neutralized filtrate, performing an ion-exchange between the waste liquid and preliminary alkaline solution, and using the ion-exchanged waste liquid toward the activating agent using the ion-exchanged preliminary alkaline solution toward the second alkaline solution.

Biogenic activated carbon compositions disclosed herein comprise at least 55 wt % carbon, some of which may be present as graphene, and have high surface areas, such as Iodine Numbers of greater than 2000. Some embodiments provide biogenic activated carbon that is responsive to a magnetic field. A continuous process for producing biogenic activated carbon comprises countercurrently contacting, by mechanical means, a feedstock with a vapor stream comprising an activation agent including water and/or carbon dioxide; removing vapor from the reaction zone; recycling at least some of the separated vapor stream, or a thermally treated form thereof, to an inlet of the reaction zone(s) and/or to the feedstock; and recovering solids from the reaction zone(s) as biogenic activated carbon. Methods of using the biogenic activated carbon are disclosed.

Biogenic activated carbon compositions disclosed herein comprise at least 55 wt % carbon, some of which may be present as graphene, and have high surface areas, such as Iodine Numbers of greater than 2000. Some embodiments provide biogenic activated carbon that is responsive to a magnetic field. A continuous process for producing biogenic activated carbon comprises countercurrently contacting, by mechanical means, a feedstock with a vapor stream comprising an activation agent including water and/or carbon dioxide; removing vapor from the reaction zone; recycling at least some of the separated vapor stream, or a thermally treated form thereof, to an inlet of the reaction zone(s) and/or to the feedstock; and recovering solids from the reaction zone(s) as biogenic activated carbon. Methods of using the biogenic activated carbon are disclosed.