Method of producing activated carbon and silica and recycling resources

An ion exchange method during production of activated carbon and silica, the method comprising:

• preparing the activated carbon by at least washing a carbon-based material that has been treated with an activating agent that comprises a first alkali metal salt;
• preparing the silica by at least treating a biomass-derived material that has been subject to a first carbonization heat-treatment and that comprises the silica with a second alkaline solution;
• performing an ion-exchange between (i) at least a portion of a waste liquid obtained from the washing of the carbon-based material and (ii) preliminary alkaline solution through an ion exchange resin;
• and
• using the ion-exchanged materials toward the activating agent or toward the second alkaline solution.

A device for producing activated carbon and silica and recycling resources, the device comprising:

• an activated carbon producer, the activated carbon producer comprising:
• a first heat treatment unit configured to perform first heat-treatment on a carbon precursor,
• an activation unit configured to mix the heat-treated carbon precursor with an activating agent that comprises a first alkali metal salt to produce a first mixture, and
• a washing unit configured to wash and dry the first mixture to obtain the activated carbon and waste liquid;
• a silica producer, the silica producer comprising:
• a second heat treatment unit configured to perform second heat-treatment on a biomass-derived raw material that comprises the silica,
• a dissolution unit configured to (i) mix the heat-treated biomass-derived raw material with alkaline solution to produce a second mixture and (ii) obtain a residue-separated filtrate from the second mixture, and
• a separation unit configured to neutralize the filtrate and perform solid-solution separation;
• and
• an ion exchanger configured to perform an ion-exchange between at least a portion of the waste liquid obtained from washing of the first mixture and preliminary alkaline solution,
• wherein the activation unit uses the ion-exchanged waste liquid and the dissolution unit uses the ion-exchanged preliminary alkaline solution.