Low-carbon and high-value utilization of hazardous industrial organic waste: From molecular mechanism to application

The management of large volumes of hazardous organic waste poses remarkable challenges due to costs and environmental pollution in industrial processes. Developing a universal strategy for recycling such waste is crucial for environmental protection. Herein, a reaction-based strategy has been proposed to recover and recycle the heavy phenolic slag wastes (HPSW) in a high-valued way. After analyzing the chemical structure of HPSW, the polycondensation method has been used to convert HPSW into an activated carbon adhesive (ACA) through reaction between phenolic hydroxyl groups and formaldehyde. The newly prepared activated carbon sample (AC-12, at optimal conditions) exhibited a high iodine value of 1320.80 mg·g⁻¹ and a specific surface area of 1368.8 m²·g⁻¹. It demonstrates high efficiency in adsorbing organic pollutants from both gaseous (p-xylene vapor) and liquid phases (methylene blue), with an equilibration time under 15 min, achieving the standard of high-end commercial ACs. This environmentally friendly and cost-effective method offers innovative approaches for the resourceful recycling and treatment of various types of organic waste, facilitating the efficient utilization and disposal of hazardous organic solid wastes in industries.