Carbon activation in a microwave fluidized bed process

1. A method for forming activated carbon, comprising:

providing a carbon feedstock;

forming particles of the carbon feedstock;

introducing the particles into a microwave reaction chamber and flowing a carrier gas into the microwave reaction chamber to form a fluidized bed of the particles;

introducing steam into the microwave reaction chamber;

heating the particles using microwave energy by introducing microwaves into the microwave reaction chamber; and

reacting the heated particles with the steam in the microwave reaction chamber to form activated carbon,

wherein the microwave energy heats the particles to a temperature ranging from about 600 to 900° C., and

wherein the carrier gas is heated to a temperature of at least about 300° C. prior to flowing into the microwave reaction chamber.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the carbon feedstock comprises carbonizing a carbon precursor in an inert atmosphere at a temperature ranging from about 600 to 900° C.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the carbonizing is performed outside of the microwave reaction chamber.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon feedstock comprises a carbonized material.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon feedstock comprises coal.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein forming particles of the carbon feedstock comprises milling the carbon feedstock.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon feedstock particles have an average particle size of less than 100 microns.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon feedstock particles have an average particle size in a range of 5 to 10 microns.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier gas is nitrogen gas heated to a temperature of at least 400° C.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein introducing steam into the reaction chamber comprises entraining the steam in flowing nitrogen gas.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein introducing the steam into the reaction chamber comprises providing a continuous flow of steam during the heating and reacting.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the particles are fluidized within the microwave reaction chamber by flowing nitrogen gas entrained with steam.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon is formed by heating the fluidized particles and reacting the fluidized particles with the steam for a reaction time of less than 4 hrs.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the steam is introduced into the reactor at a water flow rate of 1 to 50 ml/min.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the microwave energy heats the particles to a temperature ranging from about 700 to 900° C.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the microwave energy heats the particles to a temperature ranging from about 600 to 850° C.

17. A method for forming activated carbon, comprising:

carbonizing at least one carbon precursor in a microwave reaction chamber at a temperature ranging from about 600 to 900° C. to form carbonized feedstock particles;

forming a fluidized bed of the carbonized feedstock particles within the microwave reaction chamber;

introducing steam into the microwave reaction chamber;

heating the carbonized feedstock particles using microwave energy by introducing microwaves into the microwave reaction chamber; and

reacting the heated particles with the steam in the microwave reaction chamber to form activated carbon,

wherein the microwave energy heats the carbonized feedstock particles to a temperature ranging from about 600 to 900° C.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one carbon precursor is chosen from nut shells, wood, biomass, phenolic resins, wheat flour, corn flour, corn starch, corn meal, rice flour, potato flour, coconut husks, beets, millet, soybean, barley, cotton, and combinations thereof.