Optimization of preparation process of activated carbon from chestnut burs assisted by microwave and pore structural characterization analysis

Abstract

In this study, activated carbon was prepared from Chinese chestnut burs assisted by microwave irradiation with potassium hydroxide (KOH) as activator, and the process conditions were optimized employing Box-Behnken design (BBD) and response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized variables were irradiation time, impregnation time, and mass ratio of alkali-to-carbon, and the iodine adsorption value was used to evaluate the adsorption property of activated carbon. The optimal preparation conditions were determined as follows: irradiation time 17 min, impregnation time 240 min, and mass ratio of alkali-to-char 1.5:1. Meanwhile, the relatively high iodine adsorption value (1141.4 mg/g) was also obtained. Furthermore, the pore structural characterization of activated carbon was analyzed. The analyzed results showed a larger Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area (1254.5 m2/g) and a higher microporosity ratio (87.2%), a bigger total pore volume (0.6565 m3/g), but a smaller average pore size (2.093 nm), which demonstrated the obtained activated carbon possessed strong adsorption capacity and well-developed microporous structure. This research could not only establish the foundation of utilizing chestnut burs to prepare activated carbon, but also provide the basis for exploitation of Chinese chestnut by-products.Implications: Because Chinese chestnut burs are the by-products and usually discarded upon harvesting subsequently, the utilization of chestnut burs as a potential source of activated carbon is of great profit to the chestnut processing industries.