Activated carbons from Turkish lignite were prepared with different methods to investigate the influence of physico-chemical characteristics of the carbon materials on the sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) adsorption The effects Of SO(2) concentration, adsorption temperature, and sample particle size on adsorption were investigated using a thermogravimetric analysis system. An intraparticle diffusion model based on Knudsen diffusion and Freundlich isotherm (or Henry isotherm) was applied for predicting the amount of SO(2) adsorbed. The textural and chemical properties of the activated carbon samples, resulted from the effects of activation conditions and demineralization of the carbon precursor, on the SO(2) adsorption were also analyzed. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.