Preparation, characterization and dye removal study of activatead carbon prepared from palm kernel shellActivated carbon from palm kernel shells.

J.R. GARCIA; U. SEDRAN; M.A.A. ZAINI; Z.A. ZAKARIA

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Lugar: HEIDELBERG; Año: 2018 vol. 25 p. 5076 - 5085

0944-1344

Palm oil mill wastes (palm kernel shell, PKS) wereused to prepare activated carbons, which were tested in the removal ofcolorants from water. The adsorbents were prepared by 1 h impregnation of PKSwith ZnCl2 as the activating agent (PKS:ZnCl2 mass ratiosof 1:1 and 2:1), followed by carbonization in autogenous atmosphere at 500 and 550 °C during 1 h. Thecharacterization of the activated carbons included textural properties(porosity), surface chemistry (functional groups), and surface morphology. Thedye removal performance of the different activated carbons was investigated bymeans of the uptake of methylene blue (MB) in solutions with various initialconcentrations (25-400 mg/L of MB) at 30 ºC, using a 0.05 g carbon / 50 mLsolution relationship. The sample prepared with 1:1 PKS:ZnCl2 andcarbonized at 550 ºCshowed the highest MB adsorption capacity (maximum uptake at the equilibrium, qmax = 225.3 mg MB / gadsorbent), resulting from its elevated specific surface area (BET, 1058 m²/g)and microporosity (micropore surface area, 721 m²/g). The kinetic experimentsshowed that removals over 90 % of the equilibrium adsorptions were achievedafter 4 h contact time in all the cases. The study showed that palm oil millwaste biomass could be used in the preparation of adsorbents efficient in theremoval of colorants in wastewaters.