Abstract: Highly efficient and environmentally friendly utilization of coal gasification slag is a hot research subject in the coal chemical industry at present. The preparation of activated carbon with a flotation refined carbon from gasification slag, a long flame coal, a high temperature coal tar containing 70% asphalt and an active agent in proper proportion was carried out. The influence of activation temperature and time on the surface properties and compressive strength of the produced activated carbon was investigated in a tube furnace. The oxygen functional group, pore structure and absorption performance of the produced activated carbon were characterized by FT-IR, N₂ adsorption-desorption, SEM and iodine adsorption. The COD removal from biochemical waste water by the produced activated carbon was verified. The results show that the key factors for the effective formation and expansion of pore are the suitable activation temperature and time for the floatation refined carbon from gasification slag as the feedstock. The activated carbon prepared by carbonization at 550 ℃ for 30 min and steam activation at 950 ℃ for 2 h exhibits a crisscross morphology of organic carbon components and minerals. The surface area, pore capacity and average pore diameter are 566 m²/g, 0.5611 mL/g and 5.1 nm, respectively, with the characteristics of a concentrated pore distribution and a certain quantity of mesopore. Both iodine value (650 mg/g) and methylene blue value (128 mg/g) meet the requirements of the Chinese standard “Technical Specifications and Test Methods of Activated Carbon for Purification of Industrial Wastewater”. The COD in biochemical waste water treated by the activated carbon for 60 min with a solid-to-liquid ratio of 0.6 g/L can be reduced to lower than 30 mg/L, meeting the B class water quality of the Chinese standard “Integrated Discharge Standard of Water Pollutants” (DB11/307—2013).