Method of producing activated carbons from petroleum heavy materials in a reaction solvent with a sulfonating agent

A method of producing a granular activated carbon from a petroleum heavy oil or heavy residue which is solid at room temperature or liquid having a kinematic viscosity higher than 100 centistokes at 50.degree.C and contains more than 70% by weight of carbon and not more than 0.1% by weight of total metal content, which process comprises adding a liquid, organic reaction medium material which can dissolve or disperse said petroleum heavy oil or heavy residue and is selected from the group consisting of halogenated lower aliphatic compounds, lower fatty acids, lower amides, dioxane, carbon disulfide and benzene into said petroleum heavy oil or heavy residue in an amount of 5 to 20 times by weight the amount of said petroleum heavy solid or heavy residue therein;

• adding a sulfonating agent capable of sulfonating said petroleum heavy oil or heavy residue into the resulting mixture in an amount of 0.2 to 20 times by weight the amount of said petroleum heavy oil or heavy residue;
• reacting the resulting mixture at a temperature of about 50.degree. to about 155.degree.C for from 30 minutes to 10 hours to conduct simultaneously sulfonation, oxidation and dehydro-poly-condensation reactions with said heavy oil or heavy residue, whereby said petroleum heavy oil or heavy residue is converted into a granular carbonized material which is not softened by an activation treatment;
• separating said liquid, organic reaction medium material and residual sulfonating agent from the carbonized material produced and activating the thus obtained carbonized material.