This review describes the methods of preparation of carbon and carbon-mineral adsorbents by carbonization of different organic materials. The methods of carbon preparation were subdivided into two groups: preparation of sorbents on a large industrial scale, and for laboratory (chromatographic and adsorption) purposes. It also demonstrates the specific properties of some carbon adsorbents as well as the possibilities of their utilization for the purposes of environmental protection (sorption of organic pollutants from water wastes) and for analytical purposes, especially for gas (GC) and liquid (HPLC) chromatography.
This article also shows some possibilities (e.g. consumed catalysts, sorbents used in food and paper industries, from removal of oil from waste waters, etc.) of preparing different, mainly carbon-mineral adsorbents.