Silkworms’ feces-based activated carbons as cheap adsorbents for removal of cadmium and methylene blue from aqueous solutions

Autor: Christine A. Philip, Gamal M.S. ElShafei, Ibrahim M.A. ElSherbiny, Atef S. Darwish
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Zdroj: Chemical Engineering Research and Design. 92:461-470
ISSN: 0263-8762
DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2013.09.004
Popis: Activated carbon samples, ACs, were obtained from silkworms’ feces via chemical activation method. Many activating agents including the new ones KCl, CrCl 3 and TiCl 4 were compared. Acidic and basic oxidic groups in addition to aromatic tertiary and secondary amines have been detected on the surface of produced ACs. Furthermore, microporous solids furnishing high internal specific surface area, ranging between 1000 and 2000 m 2 /g, and total pore volume up to 0.85 cm 3 /g were obtained. TiCl 4 resulted in the solid possessing the highest area and pore volume. The obtained solids showed high efficiency in removing methylene blue and cadmium from their aqueous solutions. Adsorption capacity of sample AC/TiCl 4 is 461 mg/g of MB at pH = 10, and 62.6 mg/g of Cd 2+ at pH = 8. The nature of the formed microporous texture and the prevailing surface oxidic groups are the main controlling parameters for the observed high efficiency toward both adsorbates.
Databáze: OpenAIRE