Sewage sludge char is valorized for the production of adsorbents.
HCl and Na2CO3 sequential washing steps to extract most of the ashes.
Lower inorganic content favors the accessibility of CO2 into the pores network.
Maximum BET surface area (440 m2 g−1) is attained after 15 min of activation.
Promising results for the viability of sewage sludge flash pyrolysis.