ABSTRACT Bamboo charcoal–based extruded activated carbons were prepared via molding, pre‐oxidation, carbonization, and steam activation, with coal tar, phenolic resin, and their mixtures employed as binders based on practical availability and technical feasibility. This study focused on the regulatory effects of binders on the mechanical properties and levofloxacin (LEV) adsorption performance of extruded activated carbons, as well as the underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrated that mixed binders outperformed single binders in enhancing the mechanical properties of extruded activated carbons: Phenolic resin formed a three‐dimensional network structure during heat treatment, while coal tar was uniformly dispersed within this network, promoting the formation and stacking of graphite‐like microcrystals. This synergistic effect significantly improved the mechanical strength and wear resistance of extruded activated carbons, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy analyses—SEM observations revealed a smoother surface of extruded activated carbons prepared with mixed binders, reducing particle shedding caused by friction. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicated that extruded activated carbons possessed abundant oxygen‐containing functional groups on their surface, which facilitated LEV adsorption through hydrogen bonding and π–π dispersive interactions. Adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics analyses showed that LEV adsorption by extruded activated carbons was a spontaneous endothermic physical adsorption process dominated by monolayer adsorption, as fitted by the Langmuir model and pseudo‐first‐order kinetic model. With excellent mechanical strength and efficient LEV adsorption capacity, the extruded activated carbons prepared with coal tar‐phenolic resin mixed binders offer a cost‐effective solution for the treatment of LEV‐containing wastewater, providing valuable insights for the development of high‐performance activated carbon adsorbents using composite binders.
Jiang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.