Preparation of activated carbon using fruit, paper and clothing wastes for wastewater treatment

Abstract

The scarcity of clean drinking water is one of the biggest issues in the world and will be the most studied subject along with food and energy in the near future. Some freshwater sources are contaminated with sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorous, and other organic and inorganic contaminants. Desalination is a solution to this water problem, but it is costly and time-consuming. Thus, there is a growing need for developing an inexpensive water treatment process for various contaminated freshwater sources. The objective of this study was to develop an inexpensive and sustainable processes for cleaning lake water and other drinking water sources using waste materials. Here, old clothes, wastepaper, and fruit waste, such as date and olive seeds, were pelletized, carbonized, and activated to produce activated carbons. Chemical activation was performed using zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and calcium chloride (CaCl2). Additionally, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were performed to determine the surface area, morphology, and porosity of the produced activated carbon. From BET surface area analysis, it can be seen that activated carbon produced from wastepaper and cotton with ZnCl2 activation provided better values (1496.97 m2/g and 1293.02 m2/g). According to the pore volume analysis, activated carbon produced from cotton with ZnCl2 activation provided higher values (0.68654 cm3/g). This system is a promising approach for wastewater treatment and future commercialization.