Preparation and Application of High Surface Area Activated Carbon Based on Pine Nut Shell

摘要

The objective of this research is to prepare high surface area activated carbon (AC) from agricultural biomass materials, i.e., pine nut shells, by the method of carbonization and alkaline activation. The high surface area of the obtained activated carbon depends on the raw materials and preparation conditions. The influence of activation parameters such as activation agent concentration, temperature and duration was investigated. The obtained activated carbon with high surface area was characterized by N_2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results showed that the surface area and pore volume of activated carbons, which were estimated by BET and t-plot methods, were achieved as high as 2800 m~2/g and 0.36 cm~3/g, respectively. The activated carbon was further applied for malachite green (MG) adsorption, and the saturated adsorption capacity was more than 545 mg/g, which shows that the AC could be employed as good adsorbent for removal of MG from aqueous solution.