Evaluation of alkaline-based activated carbon from Leucaena Leucocephala produced at different activation temperatures for cadmium adsorption

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination in water is happening worldwide. Adsorption using activated carbon is a common choice for cleaning the wastewater. The drawback of activated carbon is the higher cost of production due to the need for high heat in the process. This work investigated on activated carbon produced from the abundantly available Leucaena leucocephala biomass in order to reduce the cost of raw material. The biomass was chemically activated at different activation temperatures. The produced activated carbon was characterized using SEM, FT-IR, surface analyzer, and TGA. Isothermic and thermodynamic studies were done to evaluate the adsorption properties of the activated carbon. It was found out that higher surface area can be obtained using the higher activation temperature. Higher NaOH to carbonized sample ratios also resulted in higher surface area for all activation temperatures, which are 662 m2g-1 for 700 °C activation temperature, 735 m2g-1 for 750 °C, and 776 m2g−1 for 800 °C. Isothermic studies showed that all of the activated carbon that is produced from Leucaena leucocephala biomass are fit to the Langmuir isotherm, regardless of any activation temperature. Lastly, the thermodynamic study found out the adsorption process is endothermic, reflected by the positive value of ΔHo. It can be concluded that Leucaena leucocephala is a promising alternative material for producing activated carbon.

Triazine-Based Functionalized Activated Carbon Prepared from Water Hyacinth for the Removal of Hg2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+ Ions from Water

“…The small size of the H + ion makes it a strong competitor for adsorption. Additionally, MT-MAC comprised surface functional groups such as amine, hydroxyl, amide, thiol, and carboxyl, which are influenced by the pH of the solution. ,− At low pH values, the surface functional groups of MT-MAC are protonated. However, with the increase of solution pH values from 2 to 5.5, the degradation efficiency of Pb 2+ , Hg 2+ , and Cd 2+ increased from 24.45 to 100.0% (for Hg 2+ ), from 36.6 to 100.0% (for Pb 2+ ), and from 78.3 to 98.3% (for Cd 2+ ) because the −COOH, −NH 2 , OC–NH 2 , and -OH are deprotonated and easy to bind with the Pb 2+ , Hg 2+ , and Cd 2+ ions.…”

“…Among these methods, adsorption using chelating resins is considered one of the most efficient methods for water treatment owing to its low cost, flexibility in operation, and design compared to those of other methods. − Many different materials have been used as adsorbents for the uptake of toxic substances from polluted water such as metal oxides, , activated carbon (AC), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), , metal organic frameworks (MOFs), , minerals (clay), inorganic nanomaterials, agriculture wastes, , graphene oxide (GO), , and polymers. , Most of these adsorbents have low selectivity and capacity. Therefore, it is important to remove toxic metals from contaminated water using cheap and efficient adsorbents.…”

Recovery of Pd(II) Ions from Aqueous Solutions Using Activated Carbon Obtained in a Single-Stage Synthesis from Cherry Seeds

“…Usually, the carbon obtained in the pyrolysis process requires another process in which its surface is activated, i.e., functional groups are attached to the surface carbon atoms, affecting the properties of the sorbent [32,33]. In this process, strong inorganic acids, alkalis, and oxidants are most often used [34][35][36][37]. Organic precursors contain chemical compounds that could allow one to activate carbon that is already in the pyrolysis process [38].…”