Production of activated carbon from olive pit for adsorption applications

• Grant number: 24/07031-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Edson Cocchieri Botelho
• Grantee: Isabella Carvalho de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEG). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Guaratinguetá. Guaratinguetá , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/20246-9 - Performance evaluation of activated carbon produced from residual biomass., BE.EP.IC

Abstract

Society has been directly affected by environmental pollution and the depletion of non-renewable resources, resulting in public health problems, environmental degradation, and economic instability. Therefore, it becomes important to implement efficient processes for the production of sustainable materials from waste, with biomass being a prominent topic in this regard. Biomass represents an abundant, carbon-neutral renewable resource, and among the available biomass sources is olive pit. Olive pits are a waste generated in large quantities by the olive oil industry and are mostly burned directly in boilers for energy generation. However, there is a search for more noble applications, such as obtaining activated carbons. Activated carbons are highly porous, non-graphitic carbonaceous materials widely used as adsorbents due to their extensive surface areas and pore distribution. Their physical and chemical characteristics depend on the production and activation methods and the nature of the precursor. However, there is a limitation in the use of activated carbon due to its high production cost. Thus, the objective of this project is to produce activated carbon from olive pits in the presence of potassium hydroxide. In this proposal, the activated carbons will be characterized using techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis. The samples will also be evaluated for their efficiency in adsorbing methylene blue dye. This step is of utmost importance to assess the quality and characteristics of the obtained activated carbons.