If an activated carbon in service has a pore size of 3 micron, can it change to about 4 microns under continual usage and if yes, is there a way to revert it back to the original pore size. Thanks
Pore size of an adsorbent should decrease to some extent during the test, unless otherwise, the adsorption medium is harsh for the adsorbent and chemically or physically destroy the pore walls. To assure whether this is happening you need to measure the specific surface area. For the aforementioned case (increase in the pore volume due to the pore wall deterioration) the surface area should decrease. The pore size or volume can't be reverted.
An increase in the total pore volume is very unlikely.
However, what can happen is that the average pore size increases: if your samples has a distribution pores, and you block the smaller ones, then the average pore size will increase.
Are you sure about the pore size you mentioned ? 3 or 4 microns is huge for activated carbons, and useless for adsorption purpose as they are much too broad. Pore sizes 3 orders of magnitude lower (i.e., in the nanometre range) are required for purifying water.
Alain
What are you trapping into the carbon and waht is the matrix used?
Fully agree with professor Celzard that pores in µm range are unusual.
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