Open AccessBrasil nut mesocarp (Bertholletia excels) as a Biomass Source for Activated Carbon Production: Correlation Between Thermal Treatment and Adsorption Performance
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
biointerface research in applied chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.216
H-Index - 11
ISSN - 2069-5837
DOI - 10.33263/briac124.45844596
Subject(s) - brazil nut , adsorption , activated carbon , pyrolysis , thermogravimetry , nuclear chemistry , char , chemical engineering , desorption , methylene blue , chemistry , muffle furnace , nut , carbon fibers , materials science , bet theory , organic chemistry , inorganic chemistry , composite material , catalysis , food science , structural engineering , photocatalysis , calcination , composite number , engineering
The activated carbon investigated in this work was produced from the extractive residues of Brazil nut processing, more specifically from the mesocarp of the Amazonian fruit. The process was performed by muffle pyrolysis, with ZnCl2 impregnation, at 400 and 500 °C. All samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetry, CHNS elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and adsorption/desorption of N2. The results were promissory, with 99% removal of methylene blue for the CA25 material, which has a surface area of 1236 m2 g-1, much higher than commercial coal (CAC, 618 m2 g-1). The adsorption kinetics best fit the pseudo-second-order model for all materials. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained was 195.3 mg g-1. Therefore, the extractive residue of Brazil nut has excellent potential for the development of activated carbon, which can be used effectively to mediate environmental contamination in a given aqueous medium.