Ingeniería ambiental

 

Adsorption studies of methylene blue and phenol onto pecan and castile nutshells prepared by chemical activation

 

Estudios de adsorción de azul de metileno y fenol en nueces de pecan y de castilla preparadas por activación química

 

V. Bello–Huitle, P. Atenco–Fernández and R. Reyes–Mazzoco*

 

Departamento de Ingeniería Química, de Alimentos y Ambiental Universidad de las Américas, Puebla. *Corresponding author. E–mail: rene.reyes@udlap.mx Tel. 222 2292660, Fax 222 2292727.

 

Received 20 of July 2010.
Accepted 22 of October 2010.

 

Abstract

The use of agricultural wastes (AWs) as raw materials in the production of granular activated carbon (GAC) is an important topic worldwide. The abundance of pecan nutshells (PNs) and castile nutshells (CNs) provided the motivation for producing GAC from these materials. Phosphoric acid was used at several activation ratios (Rs), and the adsorption capacity of methylene blue (1MB) and phenol (PH) by thv products was measured. The highest GAC yields and the maximum adsorption capacities were obtained at R=2. Although the maximum MB adsorption capacity of GAC produced from CNs was relatively small, 170 mg g^–1; that of GAC produced from PNs was 400 mg g^–1, which is among; the highest reported. The SEM images of GAC from PNs reveled gin ordered arrangement of nearly straight and tubular macropores with abundant mesopores inside. The ball–pan hardness number of the PN GAC is 80, equal to the value reported for bituminous GAC. These characteristics make the GAC obtained from PNs suitable for packed tower applications.

Keywords: agricultural waste, granular activated carbon, activation ratio, pyrolysis.

 

Resumen

El uso de desechos de agricultura como materia prima en la producción de carbón activado granular (CAG) es un tema importante alrededor del mundo. La abundancia de cáscara de nuez de pecan (NP) y de castilla (NC) fue la motivación para la producción de CAG a partir de estos materiales. Se utilizó ácido fosfórico a distintas relaciones de activación (R) y se midió la capacidad de adsorción de azul de metileno (AM) y fenol. Los CAG con más altos rendimientos y mayores capacidades de adsorción se obtuvieron con R=2. A pesar de que la máxima capacidad de adsorción de AM del CAG producido con NC fue relativamente pequeña, 170 mg g–1; la del CAG producido con NP fue de 400 mg g–1, que se encuentra dentro de los valores reportados más altos. Las imágenes en SEM del CAG de NP revelaron un arreglo ordenado de macroporos tubulares y casi rectos con mesoporos abundantes dentro. La dureza según el método Ball–pan Hardness Number del CAG de NP es de 80, igual al valor reportado para el CAG bituminoso. Estas características hacen que el CAG obtenido de NP sea adecuado para su aplicación en torres empacadas.

Palabras clave: desechos de agricultura, carbón activado granulas, relación de activación, pirólisis.

 

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