Activated carbon fiber (ACF) was used for the adsorption of phenol in petrochemical wastewater. Adsorption isotherms at 25

40

55 and 65℃ were determined and fitted with Langmuir

Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson equations. The results show that the adsorption equilibrium data fit Langmuir and Redlich- Peterson equations better than the Freundlich equation. The phenol adsorption ability of ACF from simulated wastewater decreases with the increase of temperature

while the situation is somewhat different with petrochemical wastewater. The adsorption kinetic data fit the pseudo-second-order kinetic model well in petrochemical wastewater and simulated wastewater. The intra-particle diffusion is the main rate-controlling step in the initial period and kid of phenol adsorption increases with temperature in petrochemical wastewater. The adsorption rate is influenced by intra-particle diffusion and external diffusion in the middle and later period. Thermodynamic analysis shows that the ΔG value is negative

indicating that the adsorption of phenol in petrochemical wastewater by ACF is spontaneous. However

ΔG does not change obviously with temperature owing to the influence of oil on phenol adsorption in petrochemical wastewater.