Activated carbons (ACs) were prepared in the presence of KOH at 400–800 ◦C by carbonization of sugarcane
molasses, a low-cost by-product of the vegetable sugar industry. All the ACs obtained were
microporous materials. The AC that had the highest surface area (2202 m2/g) was tested as a methane
adsorbent at temperatures between 20 and 100 ◦C. The adsorption data were modeled by Langmuir, Freundlich,
and Temkin isotherm equations, and the Langmuir model was found to have the best fit. The
results suggest that ACs prepared from sugarcane molasses using a one-step carbonization and KOH
chemical activation process has high potential for natural gas storage applications. The highest methane
adsorption capacity was equal to 197.23 mg/g (12.33 mmol g−1) at 50 bar and 20 ◦C.