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

Abstract

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.

Polymer Waste Valorization into Advanced Carbon Nanomaterials for Potential Energy and Environment Applications

“…Most prior reports have primarily emphasized typical carbonization methods for the preparation of CNMs from discarded plastics [35][36][37][38][39][40] and waste rubber tires [41,42] separately. A few previous reviews focus on specific PWDCNMs, like porous AC, [43][44][45] CNTs, [46,47] and graphene, [48] independently. For instance, Choi et al discussed the upcycling of discarded plastic into carbonaceous products, consisting carbon-fibers, adsorbents for purifying water, and electrode materials for storage of energy.…”

“…Most prior reports have primarily emphasized typical carbonization methods for the preparation of CNMs from discarded plastics [ 35–40 ] and waste rubber tires [ 41,42 ] separately. A few previous reviews focus on specific PWDCNMs, like porous AC, [ 43–45 ] CNTs, [ 46,47 ] and graphene, [ 48 ] independently. For instance, Choi et al.…”

Optimization Conditions of Malachite Green Adsorption onto Almond Shell Carbon Waste Using Process Design

“…The natural materials are applied to adsorb dyes, treat odors, and remove heavy metals. According to previous research, several types of lignocellulosic agricultural waste have been tested for the adsorption removal of different pollutants [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. To only cite a few, date pits activated carbon [ 15 ], date palm biochar [ 16 ], nut shell-derived carbon [ 17 ], pistachio shells [ 18 ], edamame shell [ 19 ], peanut shell [ 20 ], etc.…”

“…It served as the raw material used to produce AC. Various applications of activated carbon-based AS have been studied [ 10 , 11 , 14 ]. This material could be used in agricultural operations [ 21 ] to remove Direct Red 80 dye [ 22 ] and to eliminate Orange G dye and hexavalent chromium ions from aqueous matrices [ 23 ].…”

Waste Tire Derived Carbon Support for Non-Platinum-Group Metal Catalyst Materials for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Medium

“…As waste tires are abundant and hard to recycle, finding new uses for end-of-life tires is important from an environmental point of view (5). A lot of research has been done on obtaining activated carbon from waste tires and using them for different applications ranging from wastewater treatment to battery materials (4,11), but using such carbon to synthesize fuel cell catalysts remains relatively unexplored, with only a few examples discussed in the literature (3,10,12). Synthesizing porous carbon materials for more economically viable NPGM fuel cell catalysts could provide one way to use waste tires more sustainably and lower the cost of efficient fuel cell catalysts.…”