The residue from the acidic concentrated lithium bromide treated crop residue as biochar to remove Cr (VI)

Abstract

In this work, the hydrolysis residue produced from the acidic concentrated lithium bromide hydrolysis (ALBH) of wheat straw, corn stover and elephant grass were characterized as biochar. The ALBH biochar as the black power had high content of carbon (49.65–55 wt%), specific surface areas (4.53–7.79 m2/g), porous structures (micropores, mesopores and macropores) and abundant oxygen functional groups (hydroxy, carbonyl, ester and ketone groups). These properties made ALBH biochar as a potential adsorbent for environmental remediation, with relatively high removal efficiency for a variety of heavy metal ions, especially hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). Therefore, ALBH technology may be an efficient strategy for synthesis of bio-char along with fermentable sugars, which met the concern of sustainability and green chemistry.