Production Of Activated Carbon Research Articles

Bacterial Nanocellulose from Komagataeibacter Medellinensis in Fique Juice for Activated Carbons Production and Its Application for Supercapacitor Electrodes.

This paper presents the results obtained from the chemical activation of bacterial nanocellulose (BCN) using fique juice as a culture medium. BNC activation (BNCA) was carried out with H3PO4 and KOH at activation temperatures between 500 °C to 800 °C. The materials obtained were characterized morphologically, physicochemically, superficially, and electrochemically, using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the physisorption of gases N2 and CO2 at 77 K and 273 K, respectively, cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The samples activated with H3PO4 presented specific surface areas (SBET) around 780 m2 g-1, while those activated with KOH values presented specific surface areas between 680 and 893 m2 g-1. The XPS analysis showed that the PXPS percentage on the surface after H3PO4 activation was 11 wt%. The energy storage capacitance values ranged between 97.5 F g-1 and 220 F g-1 by EIS in 1 M H2SO4. The samples with the best electrochemical performance were activated with KOH at 700 °C and 800 °C, mainly due to the high SBET available and the accessibility of the microporosity. The capacitance of BNCAs was mainly improved by electrostatic effects due to the SBET rather than that of pseudocapacitive ones due to the presence of phosphorus heteroatoms.

Possible alternatives for using kraft lignin as activated carbon in pulp mills – a review

Abstract The uses of kraft lignin (KL), obtained from the black liquor (BL) in the pulping process, allow the production of activated carbon (AC), a product with high added value in the pulp mill. The AC can be used in three different sectors in a cellulose pulp mill: sectorial treatment of the cellulosic pulp bleaching filtrates; wastewater treatment; and in the treatment of water received by the mill. Thus, this article considers the steps in the production of AC, their types, and the advantages and challenges of its use in the kraft cellulose pulp mill as well as in other industries.

Using circular economy principles in the optimisation of sludge-based activated carbon production for the removal of perfluoroalkyl substances

Massive sewage sludge (SS) production from municipal wastewater treatment plants and the presence of numerous pollutant types render the process of SS treatment and disposal costly and complex. Here, resource recovery from SS was maximised via the optimisation of sludge-based activated carbon (SBAC) production for the removal of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), while considering economic factors and minimising environmental impacts. SBAC production optimisation was realised under different operating conditions (different ZnCl2 impregnation ratios and different pyrolysis activation temperatures and durations). The sorption capacity of the optimised SBAC with respect to the removal of nine commonly detected PFASs, with environmentally relevant concentrations (∽50 μg/L), from simulated wastewater was evaluated. Economic analysis and life-cycle assessment (LCA) were also performed to determine the feasibility of the process and its potential role in the circular economy. Batch adsorption tests confirmed the high efficiency of the optimised SBACs for PFAS removal (93–100 %), highlighting the possibility of converting SS to SBAC. Economically speaking, the optimised SBAC at 1.5 M ZnCl2, 500 °C, and 0.75 h reduced total production cost by 49 %. Further, the cost could be reduced to as little as 1087 US $/metric-ton compared with that corresponding to the original conditions (2.5 M ZnCl2, 500 °C, 2 h; 2144 US $/metric-ton). LCA results also showed that freshwater ecotoxicity, marine ecotoxicity, and human non-carcinogenic toxicity were the most affected environmental impact indicators, showing a 49 % decrease when ZnCl2 impregnation ratio was reduced from 2.5 to 1.5 M. These findings highlighted the optimal conditions for the production of SBAC with high sorption capacity at a reduced cost and with reduced environmental impacts. Thus, they can serve as valuable tools for decision making regarding the selection of the most sustainable and economically feasible process for PFAS removal.

Activated Carbon from Palmyra Palm Peel as an Alternative Adsorbent for Removing Heavy Metal Ions Fe(III) and Cr(VI) in Industrial Waste

Palmyra palm peel served as raw material for preparing activated carbon. In addition to its high cellulose content, palmyra palm shells are also easily found in Gresik and Tuban, East Java. Palmyra palm shell is also an abundant solid waste with low economic value, so using palmyra palm shells as raw material for activated carbon production is low cost to reduce the contaminant in liquid waste. This experiment aims to determine the effectiveness of palmyra palm peel as a bio-adsorbent for heavy metal ions Fe(III) and Cr(VI) in industrial waste. This research was conducted through 3 processes: chemical activation, carbonization, and adsorption. The methods used in this study consisted of pre-treatment, activation of raw materials, manufacture of standard solutions, calibration of standard solutions, and adsorption of heavy metals from textile waste. The carbons' activation was conducted at 600 and 700oC in the presence of KOH as the activating agent. The results are a water content of 17.50% and an ash content of 8.37%. The moisture content and ash produced results comply with the SII and SNI 06-3730-1995 standards. The carbon produced at 700oC has a better adsorption performance than that produced at 600oC. The maximum removal efficiency for Fe(III) was 95.25, and Cr(VI) was 89.7%. Two well-known equations, Langmuir and Freundlich, were used to correlate the experimental adsorption data. Langmuir equation could represent the data better than Freundlich with an R2 value close to unity.

Activated carbon production from plum pit shells for oily wastewater treatment

Abstract The aim of the research is the production of activated carbon from the plum pit shells in a drum-type steam-gas furnace. To study the production of activated carbon, methods were used based on the study of individual patterns, analysis of the specific surface, determination of the porous structure, analysis of the structural-sorption and physicochemical characteristics of the pit shell. The novelty is research on determining the characteristics of activated carbon and the effect of thermal activation temperature in a flow of CO2 and H2O in a mass ratio of 20:80 on the pore volume. During activation at a process temperature of 780 °C, the surface was destroyed by powerful thermal activation, and as a result, micropores of 8–10 μm formed and a cell configuration arose. The adsorption kinetics showed that the maximum efficiency is achieved at a duration of 0.5 h for chloroform-extracted and 2 h for hexane-extracted oil products, as well as an adsorbent dose of 4 kg/m3. The results obtained in the research of the process of oily wastewater treatment showed that the effect of treatment with the activated plum pit shells (95.5%) is greater than the effect of treatment with coagulants and clays (88.5–71)%.

Ex-situ magnetic activated carbon for the adsorption of three pharmaceuticals with distinct physicochemical properties from real wastewater.

Pharmaceuticals are able to evade conventional wastewater treatments and therefore, are recurrently found in the environment with proven potential to cause harm to human and wildlife. Adsorption onto activated carbon (AC) is a promising complement. However, AC production from non-renewable resources and its difficult after-use recuperation are prohibitive. Hence, a waste-based magnetic activated carbon (MAC) was produced from paper mill sludge, via an ex-situ synthesis, for the adsorptive removal of carbamazepine (CBZ), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and ibuprofen (IBU) from ultrapure water and wastewater. The MAC was obtained through the promotion of electrostatic interactions between magnetic and activated carbon particles in a water suspension at controlled pH between the points of zero charge of both surfaces. The optimized condition (MACX3) presented remarkable properties regarding specific surface area (SBET=795m2 g-1) and saturation magnetization (MS=19emug-1). Kinetic and equilibrium adsorption studies were performed under batch conditions. Adsorption equilibrium was reached in up to 30min for all pharmaceuticals in both matrices, proving the low dependence on the adsorbate and the broad applicability of MACX3 in pharmaceutical adsorption. Regarding equilibrium experiments, high Langmuir maximum adsorption capacities (qm) were achieved in ultrapure water (up to 711 ± 40 µmol g-1). Equilibrium studies in wastewater revealed a decay in qm when compared to ultrapure water: 28% for CBZ (468 ± 20 µmol g-1 (111 ± 5 mg g-1)), 78% for SMX (145±10 µmol g-1 (37 ± 3 mg g-1)) and 62% for IBU (273 ± 8 µmol g-1 (56 ± 2 mg g-1)), attributed to the wastewater pH, which dictates the speciation of the pharmaceuticals and controls electrostatic interactions between pharmaceuticals and MAC, and to competition effects by organic matter. It was demonstrated the promising applicability of a waste-based ex-situ MAC, rapidly retrievable from water, as an alternative tertiary wastewater treatment for pharmaceuticals removal.

Optimization of activated carbon production from corn cob using response surface methodology

Waste management and valorization of waste is a major global issue. Low-cost and renewable adsorbent activated carbon (AC) from agriculture residues is a focus of worldwide concern. Microwave heating is an efficient technology for production of AC. CCAC was synthesized from corn cob via microwave vacuum pyrolysis under ambient vacuum, and the optimization process for maximized CCAC yield and its iodine number was developed using response surface methodology (RSM). These regression models have high Fisher test value and lower p-value, which ensure its reliability and applicability. The optimized parameters obtained are 550.62 W, 9.26 min, -0.05 Mpa, and 1.7 IR with responses of 37.57% yield and 933.38 mg/g iodine number. The predicted results were validated, and it was found that the experimental data varied only by 4.21% in yield and 4.02% in iodine number from the predicted values. The prepared adsorbent was characterized using instrumental techniques like FT-IR, BET, and SEM. The pyrolysis approach produced CCAC containing regular and homogeneous porous structure with a specific surface area of up to 995.05 m2/g and total volume of 0.708 cm3/g.

Valorization of Solid Wastes from Textile Industry as an Adsorbent Through Activated Carbon Production

In this study, recycling of solid textile wastes into activated carbon and the potential use of these activated carbons in color removal were investigated. Cotton and cotton/polyester-blended fabric wastes and textile wastewater treatment sludge were selected as solid textile wastes. A two-stage method, low temperature carbonization, and chemical activation with ZnCl2 were applied to prepare large surface area and rich-pore structure activated carbon from fabric wastes and sludge in textile industry. The activated carbons were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescent, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. The reactive dye (Reactive Red 141) adsorption capacity of the activated carbons was investigated by the batch adsorption method. Activated carbon yields were found in the range of 28–34%. Cotton textile waste-based activated carbons were found to have the highest surface area (~1380 m2/g), followed by cotton/polyester and wastewater treatment sludge-based activated carbons. Wastewater treatment sludge-based activated carbons showed the highest dye adsorption capacity (161.29 mg/g), possibly due to its higher mesoporosity. The obtained results showed that the adsorption of the reactive dye onto textile waste-based activated carbons produced by two-step process is favorable. The developed activated carbons fit the circular economy approach well, offering a promising potential for solid textile waste management, as well as for water remediation.

Valorization of orange peels in a biorefinery loop: recovery of limonene and production of volatile fatty acids and activated carbon

Orange peels (OPs) were valorized in a lab-scale biorefinery loop for the recovery of limonene and the subsequent production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and activated carbon (AC). Solid/liquid extraction of limonene was optimized using n-hexane at 85 °C with an OPs-to-solvent ratio of 2:1, allowing for a limonene recovery yield of 1.20% w/w. Then, post-extraction OPs were used for the production of both VFAs and AC. For VFA production, a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 5 days and a total solid (TS) inlet content of 10% w/w were adopted leading to a VFA yield of about 43% gVFAs/gTS. Adsorption tests revealed that, among all the solid matrixes tested, only powdered activated carbon (PAC) was able to discriminate no-VFA compounds and allowed for VFA purification. For AC production, post-extraction OPs were firstly converted into biochar through slow pyrolysis at 550 °C for 1 h and then physically activated with CO2 at 880 °C for 1 h. Extraction did not appreciably affect OP properties, while pyrolysis increased the carbon content (from 43 to 83%) and the heating value (from 17 to 29 MJ/kg) of the material. Physical activation of OP biochar increased its surface area by almost ten times, from 40 to 326 m2/g, proving the effectiveness of the treatment.

Understanding association between methylene blue dye and biosorbent: Palmyrah sprout casing in adsorption process in aqueous phase

Water pollution caused by industrial dyes has become a severe problem in the modern world. Biosorbents can be used in an eco-friendly manner to remove industrial dyes. In this study, five biosorbents were selected: palmyrah sprout casing (PSC), manioc peel, lime peel, king coconut husk, and coconut kernel. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to identify the best biosorbent with the highest ability to adsorb methylene blue (MB) from wastewater. The detailed mechanisms of PSC used in the adsorptive removal of MB in aqueous phase were investigated. Of the five biosorbents, PSC exhibited the best removal performance with an adsorption capacity at equilibrium (qe) of 27.67 mg/g. The qe values of lime peel, king coconut husk, manioc peel, and coconut kernel were 24.25 mg/g, 15.29 mg/g, 10.84 mg/g, and 7.06 mg/g, respectively. To explain the mechanisms of MB adsorption with the selected biosorbents, the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were performed to characterize functional properties, and isotherm, kinetic, rate-limiting, and thermodynamic analyses were conducted. The FTIR analysis revealed that different biosorbents had different functional properties on their adsorptive surfaces. The FTIR and XRD results obtained before and after MB adsorption with PSC indicated that the surface functional groups of carbonyl and hydroxyl actively participated in the removal process. According to the isotherm analysis, monolayer adsorption was observed with the Langmuir model with a determination coefficient of 0.998. The duration to reach the maximum adsorption capacity for MB adsorption with PSC was 120 min, and the adsorption process was exothermic due to the negative enthalpy change (−9.950 kJ/mol). Moreover, the boundary layer thickness and intraparticle diffusion were the rate-limiting factors in the adsorption process. As a new biosorbent for MB adsorption, PSC could be used in activated carbon production to enhance the performance of dye removal.

Improving SO2 and/or NO removal by activated carbon through comprehensive utilization of inherent pyrite and calcite in coal

Utilization of inherent active minerals in coal is an effective strategy for high-performance activated carbon (AC) production, such as calcite and pyrite. In this research, ACs were prepared through blending demineralized Ningxia coal with calcite (CaCO3, 0–8 wt.%) and pyrite (FeS2, 0–3 wt.%). The combined effect of inherent pyrite and calcite in coal on the as-prepared AC’s texture and SO2 and/or NO removal performance was discussed. The results indicated that: (1) The combined effect of calcite and pyrite showed nonlinearly on weight loss and burn-off, and reduced AC’s yield. The impact of calcite on pore structure was more evident than pyrite. Meanwhile, calcite and pyrite enhance the content of CO (C 1 s) and π-π*, and new mineral CaS could be formed through interaction between calcite and pyrite; (2) Calcite and pyrite promote AC's SO2 and NO removal ability evidently. Pyrite and calcite regulate physiochemical texture, and the physical and chemical adsorption of SO2/O2/H2O was enhanced. Meanwhile, iron and calcium ingredients in AC catalyzed desulfurization. CaO could participate in the SO2 removal process. Fe2O3 oxidized SO2 to SO3 and then forms H2SO4 rapidly, meanwhile, a redox cycle of Fe3+ and Fe2+ was established. Enhancement of NO removal was more evident than SO2, which was mainly due to Fe2O3 being helpful to oxidizing NO to NO2, and calcium components could enhance the adsorption of NH3 and NO and finally promote “fast SCR”; (3) During simultaneous desulphurization and denitrification, sulfur capacity was obviously enhanced and NO conversion was declined. The mechanism was proposed as follows: the existence of NH3 could enhance the SO2 adsorption through chemisorption and/or catalytic oxidization; Due to the competitive adsorption of SO2, denitrification declined. This research could guide high-performance AC production by utilizing high-inorganic-calcium/iron/sulfur coal.

Simulation of the process of grinding and transporting organic waste in an activated carbon production unit

Today, the processing of organic waste, such as wood chips, technological chips, sawdust, sunflower husks, car tires, walnut shells, seeds of various vegetables and fruits, is becoming more and more popular. The industry is developing promising devices for waste processing with subsequent production of useful products for economic activity. Along the way, the question arises of grinding and transporting these wastes to the place of their processing. In particular, for an installation for the production of activated carbon from bulk waste, it is necessary to design grinding and transportation zones. In the work, on the basis of the selected grinder, a pneumotransport unit for feeding crushed organic waste to an activated carbon production unit was modeled. Mathematical modeling of the waste transfer process has been carried out, which makes it possible to determine the rational parameters of the raw material preparation zones. An algorithm for calculating a vertical pneumatic transport system has been developed, which can be used to calculate technological processes associated with the need to supply and subsequent vertical transportation of raw materials. Dependences were obtained: the speed of soaring on the bulk density of particles, the results of which revealed a significant effect of the thickness of the particle on its speed of soaring in the pneumatic pipeline, as well as the dependence of the diameter of the pipeline on the volumetric flow rate and type of raw material, which demonstrated an increase in the diameter of the pipeline with a decrease in the bulk particle density. The results of these dependencies can be used in the creation or modernization of vertical pneumatic transport systems designed for small volumes of transported raw materials.

Valorization of solid digestate into activated carbon and its potential for CO2 capture

Anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste for producing biogas as a renewable energy source is an established and promising technological option, producing a huge quantity of solid digestate as residue waste. Valorization of solid digestate into high-value products is necessary to make the anaerobic digestion process more cost-effective and enhance environmental benefits. In this study, activated carbon was fabricated from solid digestate with phosphoric acid activation in the fixed bed reactor. The physicochemical properties of the activated carbons have been analyzed by elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and N2 adsorption and desorption isotherms. The effect of H3PO4/digestate char impregnation ratio on structural and morphological change of the produced activated carbon was tested, and the function of H3PO4 in the activation procedure was discussed. The results indicated that an appropriate H3PO4/digestate char ratio was useful for the creation of pore structure. The highest surface area of 201 m2/g was attained at H3PO4/char ratio of 2 and at 600 °C. The potential for the use of the prepared activated carbon for CO2 capture was also evaluated thermogravimetrically under dynamic conditions, indicating good cyclic stability. This study provides the feasibility of integrating anaerobic digestion for biogas with subsequent activated carbon production from solid digestate.

High-performance sorbents from ionic liquid activated walnut shell carbon: an investigation of adsorption and regeneration.

In this paper, walnut shells were selected to make activated charcoal using ionic activators. Based on the physical/chemical activation process and the properties of activated carbon products, the Fourier Transform Infrared reflection and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis methods were adopted to comparatively analyse activation principles and pore-structure parameters. Also ciprofloxacin adsorption was compared among various activated carbon. Then, an absence of microporous structure in both walnut shells and their carbonized derivatives was found. Moreover, the specific surface area of activated carbon, prepared via KOH wet activation within physical/chemical procedures, attains a noteworthy 1787.06 m2 g-1, underlining its commendable adsorption performance. The specific surface areas of five distinct activated carbons, processed via ionic activation, extend from 1302.01 to 2214.06 m2 g-1. Concurrently, the micropore volumes span from 0.47 to 0.93 cm3 g-1. Obviously, the adsorption proficiency of ion-activated carbon markedly exceeds that of carbons activated physically or chemically. Of all materials investigated in this paper, ion-activated carbon D consistently exhibits superior performance, maintaining a ciprofloxacin removal rate nearing 100% at 40 °C. Remarkably, the maximum regeneration frequency of ion-activated carbons can reach up to 10 cycles. In conclusion, these five ion-activated carbons, demonstrating superior pore-structure parameters and adsorptive capacities, outperform those prepared through physical/chemical methods. They emerge as promising contenders for new, high-performing adsorbents.

H3PO4/KOH Activation Agent for High Performance Rice Husk Activated Carbon Electrode in Acidic Media Supercapacitors

H3PO4/KOH combined solution is proposed as a new effective activation agent for activated carbon production from rice husk. Several activated carbon samples were produced by using different volumes of the utilized acid and alkali individually, in addition to the combined solution. FTIR results indicated that the mixed agent partially decomposed the chemical compounds on the rice husk char surface, resulting in an increase in the surface area. Moreover, XRD and EDS analyses showed the presence of a considerable amount of amorphous silica. Electrochemical measurements concluded that the volume of the activation agent solution should be optimized for both single and mixed activation agents. Numerically, for 0.3 g treated rice husk char, the maximum specific capacitance was observed at 7, 10 and 14 mL of H3PO4, KOH (3 M) and mixed (1:1 by volume) activation agents, respectively; the determined specific capacitance values were 73.5, 124.2 and 241.3 F/g, respectively. A galvanostatic charging/discharging analysis showed an approximate symmetrical triangular shape with linear voltage versus time profile which indicates very good electrochemical performance as an electrode in the supercapacitors application. The stability of the proposed activated carbon was checked by performing a cyclic voltammetry measurement for 1000 cycles at 2 mV/s and for 30,000 cycles at 10 mV/s. The results indicate an excellent specific capacitance retention, as no losses were observed.

Production, Types, and Applications of Activated Carbon Derived from Waste Tyres: An Overview

Storage of waste tyres causes serious environmental pollution and health issues, especially when they are left untreated in stockpiles and landfills. Waste tyres could be subjected to pyrolysis and activation in order to produce activated carbon, which is an effective adsorbent, and can find various applications, such as for wastewater treatment, removal of metals and dyes, energy storage devices, electrode materials, etc. Activated carbon (AC) is a non-polar and non-graphite material having high porosity and excellent adsorption capabilities, making it one of the most frequently used adsorbents in various industries. It is normally produced from carbon-rich materials such as coal, coconut shells, waste tyres, biowaste, etc. The use of waste tyres for the production of AC is a sustainable alternative to conventional sources (such as coconut shells and coal) as it supports the concept of a circular economy. Since AC sourced from waste tyres is a new area, this study reviews the methods for the preparation of AC, the types of activation, the forms of activated carbon, and the factors affecting the adsorption process. This study also reviews various applications of AC derived from waste tyres, with a specific focus on the removal of different pollutants from wastewater. Activated carbon derived from the waste tyres was found to be a versatile and economically viable carbon material, which can contribute towards safeguarding the environment and human health.

Lignocellulosic waste and activated carbon production method

Lignocellulosic waste corresponds to a large percentage of waste in the world. Over time research has been developed for the use of these. This waste can be converted into activated carbon. The objective of this scientific article is to carry out a bibliographic review of research carried out on lignocellulosic waste and activated carbon production methods. The applied methodology is based on the qualitative approach, in which a comparison is sought to the obtaining methods, their precursors, and the variables to be considered for quality evaluation. The chemical activation method turned out to bethe most effective since it provides greater adsorption capacity; the most feasible lignocellulosic residues used are sugar cane bagasse, coffee husk, potato weed, and bamboo.

Comparative Study between Activated Carbon and Charcoal for the Development of Latent Fingerprints on Nonporous Surfaces

For criminal investigations, fingerprints remain the most reliable form of personal identification despite developments in other fields like DNA profiling. The objective of this work is to compare the performance of both commercial charcoal and activated carbon powder derived from the Alhagi plant to reveal latent fingerprints from different non-porous surfaces (cardboard, plain glass, aluminum foil sheet, China Dish, Plastic, and Switch). The effect of three variables on activated carbon production was investigated. These variables were the impregnation ratio (the weight ratio of KOH: dried raw material), the activation temperature, and the activation time. The effect factors were investigated using Central Composite Design (CCD) software. The optimum activation conditions were found as an impregnation ratio of 1:2.6, activated time of 160 min, and temperature of 630oC. The results of the comparison show that Alhagi active carbon powder (AAC) has a high ability to develop latent fingerprints on all surfaces except on plastic surfaces while the commercial charcoal failed to develop the latent fingerprint on both plastic and aluminum foil sheets surfaces. AAC was found to clearly show every feature of the latent fingerprints more than commercial charcoal for both males and females. Also, AAC has the ability to show latent fingerprints till 15 days while commercial charcoal has the ability to show latent fingerprints just till 7 days.

Removal of hexavalent chromium using durian in the form of rind, cellulose, and activated carbon: Comparison on adsorption performance and economic evaluation

Durian rind (DR) is one of the lignocellulose-containing agro-industrial wastes abundant in many South Asian counties. Contributing toward a sustainable and zero waste future, DR was utilized as raw material for cellulose and activated carbon production. A chemical delignification method was adopted to valorize DR into cellulose, while carbonization and subsequent KOH activation steps were used to convert the DR into activated carbon. The resulting materials exhibited high adsorption capacity toward Cr6+ (154.2 and 223.3 mg/g for cellulose and activated carbon, respectively). The activated carbon derived from DR exhibited a faster adsorption rate of Cr6+ compared to cellulose and raw DR. The adsorption of Cr6+ by DR-derived adsorbents exhibited a monolayer tendency, with isotherm and kinetics data following the Khan and pseudo-second-order models. The total production cost of converting DR into cellulose and activated carbon was evaluated using life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Compared to the cellulose production, DR to activated carbon conversion requires up to 6-fold higher cost for energy. Based on the economic analysis, ∼US$ 2.9 and US$ 4.2 were needed to convert 1 kg DR into cellulose and activated carbon, respectively.

Biomass derived carbonaceous materials with tailored superstructures designed for advanced supercapacitor electrodes

Supercapacitors (SC), as one of the most competitive energy storage devices, are receiving great attention in R&D community. Carbonaceous materials for supercapacitor electrodes with high performance possess many attractive advantages, such as large specific surface area (SSA), hierarchical porous superstructures and excellent conductivity. Herein, biomass based materials are often utilized as versatile precursors for activated carbon production due to their inherent merits, including low cost, abundance, renewability, high carbon content, environmental friendliness, genetically unique nature structure. As known, the capacitance performance of biomass based carbon-assembled supercapacitors is mainly directly proportional to the exceptional skeleton robustness, high SSA and electroactive site content within carbonaceous framework. In this review, special attentions will be paid to the latest research progress of carbonaceous materials derived from biomass with tailored hierarchical superstructures to highlight their impact on the electrochemical performance of assembled supercapacitor. The objective of this paper is to present a critical review on the most recent publication related to biomass oriented carbonaceous electrodes for outstanding supercapacitor electrodes. Furthermore, the perspective for the progress and development of biomass based carbonaceous electrodes for high performance supercapacitors will also be provided, to underscore the current critical issues and future opportunities. • Carbon derived from biomass with tailored structure for supercapacitors was reviewed. • Methods for activating carbon with improved capacitance were reviewed and discussed. • Biomass based carbon and their key parameters/ characterizations were summarized. • The reasons why biomass derived carbon are suitable for electrodes were demonstrated. • Preparation methods and applications of biomass derived carbon were summarized and prospected.