Carbon Deposition Pore-Narrowing Modification of Activated Carbon for Adsorption of Chlorinated Volatile Organic Compounds

• • Carbon deposition modification increased ultramicropore volume (<0.8 nm), boosting DCM adsorption capacity by 24.2% under dry conditions, critical for industrial off-gas treatment where DCM is a common solvent. • • AC-M exhibited a 39% higher total adsorption rate constant for DCM and a 22% lower mass transfer zone height, enabling faster adsorption kinetics and more compact adsorber designs. • • The modified material showed enhanced hydrophobicity (reduced oxygen functional groups), improving water vapor resistance—essential for humid industrial exhaust streams where water competition reduces adsorption efficiency. • • For larger CVOCs (DCE, TCE, CB), adsorption capacities slightly decreased due to reduced specific surface area, indicating that ultramicropores are less effective for these molecules; this highlights the need for pore size matching to target specific pollutants.