Activated carbon preparation from pistachio shell pyrolysis and gasification in a spouted bed reactor

Abstract

Spouted bed technology was applied for the production of activated carbons from pistachio nut shells for the first time. Both of the pyrolysis and the gasification stages were carried out in the same spouted bed reactor. The produced bio-char and activated carbon were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Iodine number, and BET surface area. Temperature of 600 °C, hold time of 60 min, with particle size of 3.36–4.76 mm were the best conditions to produce a char with 430 m2 g-1. While the carbonization tests were carried out in a shorter time, BET surface area of the bio-chars were as large as those obtained in other reactors. BET surface area of the best produced activated carbon was 2596 m2 g−1 with the burn-off 90 % at temperature 850 °C and 20 min activation. A comparison was made between the activated carbon characteristics produced in spouted bed reactor with those obtained previously in fixed bed reactors. According to the results, spouted bed reactors are suitable equipment for performing the both carbonization and gasification stages thanks to excellent mixing and high circulation rates of the materials inside a spouted bed.