The adsorption processes of several aromatic chemicals onto activated carbons (ACs) from aqueous solutionshave been studied. The activated carbons were prepared from eucalyptus kraft lignin with CO
2 at 1073 Kactivation temperature. The surface properties of the ACs play a significant role when these materials areused for adsorption from liquid phases. The physicochemical properties and the surface chemical structure ofthe ACs were studied by means of N
2 adsorption experiments, elemental analysis, XPS, and TPD. The XPSand TPD spectra of ACs suggest the presence of aromatic rings and oxygenated functional groups in thesurface material. Benzene, nitrobenzene, aniline,
p-nitroaniline, toluene, and
p-nitrotoluene as aromaticadsorbates have been used in the present study. Adsorption isotherms data were fitted to the Freundlich andFritz-Schlünder equations. We have developed the thermodynamic study from the equilibrium data. Thevalues of
H,
G, and
S were calculated, and these indicate that the process is exothermic in nature in allthe examined cases.
