Review Article Volume 3 Issue 4 - October 2017 DOI: 10.19080/RAPSCI.2017.03.555619 Recent Adv Petrochem Sci Copyright © All rights are reserved by Hassan Al-Haj Ibrahim Chemical Activation of Syrian Sponge Coke Hassan Al-Haj Ibrahim* Al-Baath University, Syria Submission: September 20, 2017; Published: October 16, 2017 *Corresponding author: Hassan Al-Haj Ibrahim, Al-Baath University, Syria, Email: Recent Adv Petrochem Sci 3(4): RAPSCI.MS.ID.555619 (2017) 0085 Introduction Water pollution by aromatic compounds is a serious problem. Although aromatic compounds are in general non- polar compounds, their polarity is greater than that of aliphatic compounds with similar number of carbon atoms and aromatic compounds are therefore less volatile and easier to dissolve in water with a very low threshold of detectability by taste or in water. In fact, few micrograms of aromatic compounds in a liter of water are suf ficient to make the water undrinkable or less suitable for drinking [1]. Polycyclic aromatic compounds are poisonous and possibly carcinogenic pollutants. They are, furthermore, semi volatile and semi stable and not easily disposed of or decomposed by living organisms. Their presence in water may also render ineffective the biological treatment of water. Crude oil often contains certain amounts of such compounds, particularly naphthalene and methyl naphthalene, which are released on incomplete combustion [2] or from coking and other plants. Analysis of sewage and used water often reveals their presence and their amounts in water are controlled in international water specifications [3]. In this study, naphthalene was used as an example of other polycyclic aromatic compounds because of its high content in used industrial waters. Naphthalene (C10H8) is a bicyclic aromatic compound with an equivalent carbon number of 11.69. It is a white, volatile, crystalline solid that is easily sublimated at normal temperatures. It is normally used for cloth protection from bugs and insects. Its solubility in water is about 30mg per liter, and water may be considered polluted if its naphthalene content is greater than 0.1mg/liter [1]. Exposure to naphthalene may have adverse effects on red blood cells and may cause sickness, diarrhea, nausea and jaundice. Naphthalene is a carcinogenic substance according to the International Cancer Research Agency. Naphthalene powder may also form with air an explosive mixture. Current research indicates that adsorption is one of the most effective methods for treatment of water polluted with aromatic compounds, which are easily adsorbed. These include naphthalene, polycyclic aromatics, insecticides, herbicides and high molecular-weight compounds such as dyes, gasoline and amines. Most research on the adsorption of polycyclic compounds has been concerned with adsorption in the gaseous phase with much less work on adsorption form aqueous solutions [4,5]. Adsorption from complex multi-component aqueous solutions is much more complicated than adsorption from the gaseous phase. This is mainly due to the possible interactions between the different components and their effect on the adsorbent’s selectivity in the adsorption of the dissolved substances in preference to the adsorption of the solvent. This is especially apparent in dilute solutions with a high solvent concentration as in the case of solutions of polycyclic compounds in water. Carbon adsorption is an effective water treatment method. It was used from ancient times in water treatment. Arabs in Abstract Syrian sponge coke activated by treatment with molten potassium hydroxide is used in the adsorption of naphthalene from water. Some of the factors that are expected to affect the process of adsorption are also investigated. The results obtained indicate that the adsorption of naphthalene by activated coke can be represented by the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. Keywords: Activated carbon; Petroleum coke; Adsorption; Naphthalene Recent Advances in Petrochemical Science ISSN: 2575-8578