Removal of less biodegradable dissolved organic matters in water by superconducting magnetic separation with magnetic mesoporous carbon

Less biodegradable dissolved organic matters in water as typified by humic substances are known as precursors of carcinogenic trihalomethanes, and are removed about 60% by current advanced water treatments. However, further increase of the removal ratio is demand. In this study, magnetic mesoporous carbon (MMPC), which can adsorb the substances physically and be efficiently collected by using superconducting high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS), has been synthesized with coconut-shell-based activated carbon and ferric nitrate solution by the gas activation method. The MMPC has the maximum magnetization value of 30.7 emu/g and an adsorption ability of 87% to 10 mg/L humic acid in a short time. The standard MMPC having a magnetization of 6.43 emu/g was able to be separated at magnetic field of 2 T. Used MMPC regained the adsorption ability to 93.1% by N2 reactivation heat treatment. These results show promise for application of current water treatments by superconducting HGMS, which is suitable for high-speed water treatment without secondary wastes.