Review on Coal-Based Activated Carbon: Preparation, Modification, Application, Regeneration, and Perspectives

Coal is not only a type of fuel but also a precious resourcewithdual value attributes. Coal is usually used for combustion and electricitygeneration and is also used as a feedstock in the production of fuels,chemicals, and other high value-added products to improve efficiency.Among these products, coal-based activated carbon is an importantpart of the high value-added and resource utilization of coal. Inthis paper, the relevant research on coal-based activated carbon inrecent decades is reviewed, including raw material selection, preparationprocess and mechanism, modification methods, application status, andregeneration methods. Finally, the existing problems and future researchdirections in the field of coal-based activated carbon are proposed,which has great significance for realizing the high value-added utilizationof coal resources.