Abstract: Feasibility of activated carbon preparation from bamboo knot by microwave radiation was studied.Effects of microwave power, activation time, ZnCl₂ solution concentration and flow rate of water vapor on the quality of activated carbon was investigated.The optimum technology of activated carbon preparation with water vapor activation by microwave radiation was obtained as follows:microwave power 700 W, activation time 7 min, flow rate of water vapor 3.1 mL/min.Activated carbon was prepared with iodine value 1012.2 mg/g, decoloring capacity for methylene blue 165 mL/g and yield 52.3%.Activation time was 1/45 and yield of activated carbon was twice as that of the conventional process respectively.The optimum technology of activated carbon preparation with ZnCl₂ activation by microwave radiation was obtained as follows:microwave power 350 W, activation time 5 min, ZnCl₂ solution mass parts 40%. Activated carbon was prepared with iodine value 1088.4 mg/g, decoloring capacity for methylene blue 220 mL/g and yield 39.2%.Activation time was 1/36 of the conventional process.The decoloring capacity for methylene blue was 1.83 times of that of the first grade product specified in the National Standard(GB/T 12496.10-1999).

Key words: microwave, bamboo knot, activated carbon