Preparation of Activated Carbon from seeds residues of (Urtica dioica) plants

Abstract

Activated Carbon characterized by special importance for it’s large use in industry field and pollution struggle it has been prepared from different sources and ways. In this study activated carbon was prepared from seed residues of (Urtica dioica) plants after extractions of vegetable to preparation the biodiesel. The process of activated carbon preparation include the following steps: 1) Primary carbonization of theseed residues at (300º±50ºc). 2) Secondary carbonization of product results from the primary carbonization with exiss amount of sodium hydroxide {(1:2) (seeds residues:NaOH)} at (500±25ºc) for 3 hrs. The product washed with: distillated water treated with 10% HCl, washed with distillated water and ther dried at 110ºc for 24 hrs. Number of tests concerning the activated carbon were parformed including all types of activated carbon prepared in steps 1and 2, these tests including: Physiochemical tests such as humidity, density, ash content and mechanical resistance and measurements of iodine number and methylene blue. The studying results show that carbonization seed residueswith sodium hydroxide in (2) give the best results of the prepared activated carbon than in (1).