Use of sawdust Eucalyptus sp. in the preparation of activated carbons

Abstract

Wood sawdust is a solid residue, generated in the timber industry, which is of no profitable use and can cause serious environmental problems if disposed inadequately. The aim of this study was to use the eucalyptus sawdust in the preparation of activated carbons AC) and test them as adsorbents of methylene blue (MB) and phenol, representative pollutants from aqueous effluents of various industries. The eucalyptus sawdust was characterized by instrumental analysis such as elementary analysis (CHNS-O), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The activated carbons were prepared by physical activation with carbon dioxide AC_CO2, (10º C min-1, 850º C, 1h) and by chemical activation with potassium carbonate AC_K2CO3 (10º C min-1, 850º C, 3h). The AC_CO2 and AC_K2CO3 were characterized by CHN-O, TGA, FTIR, N2 adsorption/desorption (BET) to evaluate the specific surface area and SEM. The resulting activated carbons were tested for their ability to adsorb MB and phenol in water. The activated carbons produced in this work were predominantly microporous and showed specific surface area of about 535 m² g-1. The AC_K2CO3 was more effective in the adsorption of MB (81 mg g-1) and phenol (330 mg g-1) than AC_CO2 (32 mg g-1 and 172 mg g-1, respectively, for MB and phenol).