Application of plasma treated activated carbon to enhancement of phenol removal by ozonation in three-phase fluidized bed reactor

Plasma treatment of activated carbon (AC) was found to be an efficient method to enhance phenol removal by ozonation in a three-phase fluidized-bed reactor. The plasma treatment extended porous structure, changed surface morphologies, and produced oxygen functional groups on the surface of AC. Plasma-treated activated carbon together with O₃ gave the best removal result, in which phenol was completely decomposed within 10 min (with pseudo first-order rate constant k = 0.286 min^-1), while untreated AC without O₃ showed the worst result (k = 0.024 min^-1). Consequently, AC modified by plasma was shown to be a good material for removal of organic pollutants and yield superb performance in an integrated process with ozone in a fluidized-bed reactor.