To understand the nature of H2S adsorption onto carbon
surfaces under dry and anoxic conditions, the effects of
carbon pore structure and surface chemistry were
studied using activated carbon fibers (ACFs) with different
pore structures and surface areas. Surface pretreatments,
including oxidation and heat treatment, were conducted before
adsorption/desorption tests in a fixed-bed reactor. Raw
ACFs with higher surface area showed greater adsorption
and retention of sulfur, and heat treatment further
enhanced adsorption and retention of sulfur. The retained
amount of hydrogen sulfide correlated well with the
amount of basic functional groups on the carbon surface,
while the desorbed amount reflected the effect of pore
structure. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and
thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the
retained sulfurous compounds were strongly bonded to
the carbon surface. In addition, surface chemistry of the
sorbent might det