Synthesis of Microporosity Dominant Wood-Based Activated Carbon Fiber for Removal of Copper Ions.

Zhi Jin,Shenghui Hu,Lina Tang,Zhen Zeng,Guangjie Zhao,Yuejin Fu

doi:10.3390/polym14061088

Abstract

Steam activation treatments were introduced in the preparation of activated carbon fiber from liquefied wood (LWACF), to enlarge its specific surface area and develop the pore size distribution. With increasing activation time, the average fiber diameter of LWACF decreased from 27.2 µm to 13.2 µm, while the specific surface area increased from 1025 to 2478 m2/g. Steam activation predominantly enhanced the development of microporosity, without significant pore widening. Prolonging the steam activation time exponentially increased the removal efficiency of Cu2+ at a constant adsorbent dose, as a result of an increase in the number of micropores and acidic-oxygenated groups. Moreover, for LWACF activated for 220 min at 800 °C, the removal efficiency of Cu2+ increased from 55.2% to 99.4%, when the porous carbon fiber dose went from 0.1 to 0.5 g/L. The synthesized LWACF was proven to be a highly efficient adsorbent for the treatment of Cu2+ ion-contaminated wastewater.

Highlights

Wood-Based Activated Carbon FiberWith the rapid development of industrial activities, numerous effluents containing heavy metals are released into surface and underground water, resulting in increased environmental risks
The average fiber diameter of LWACF decreased from 27.2 μm to 13.2 μm, indicating that in parallel with the promotion in pore development, steam activation accelerated the fiber surface erosion
Many obvious cracks occurred on the surface and inner core of LWACF-220 (Figure 2F), while for LWACF-60 and LWACF-140 the fiber surface were relatively smooth (Figure 2B,D), suggesting the deeper penetration of steam with prolonged activation time

Summary

Introduction

With the rapid development of industrial activities, numerous effluents containing heavy metals are released into surface and underground water, resulting in increased environmental risks. Copper is a heavily used metal in industries such as plating, mining and smelting, brass manufacture, electroplating industries, and petroleum refining, and excessively used in Cu-based agrichemicals mining [1–3]. These industries produce much wastewater and sludge containing Cu2+ ions at various concentrations, which have negative effects on the water environment [4,5]. Among the various treatment technologies, carbon-based porous materials are commonly used, due to their high surface area, abundant surface groups, harmlessness to the environment, and ease of operation.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion