Mesoporous activated carbon from polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) waste: pollutant adsorption in aqueous solution

Author(s)

de Castro, Cinthia Soares ^{[1, 2]} ; Viau, Luisa Nagyidai ^[2] ; Andrade, Julia Teixeira ^[1] ; Prado Mendonca, Thais A. ^[3] ; Goncalves, Maraisa ^[3]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Alfenas, Inst Sci & Technol, Rodovia Jose Aurelio Vilela 11999, BR 267, Km 533, BR-37715400 Pocos De Caldas, MG - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Dept Chem, Ave Antonio Carlos 6627 UFMG, BR-31270901 Belo Horizonte, MG - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Sci & Technol, Talim St 330, BR-12231280 Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY; v. 42, n. 17, p. 14612-14619, SEP 7 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Mesoporous activated carbons (ACs) of high surface area were prepared from low cost and highly available powdered PET waste (generated during PET bottle recycling). Different chemical activating agents were employed. ZnCl2 produced an AC of 700 m(2) g(-1), containing mainly small mesopores (approximate to 2 nm), whereas activation with K2CO3 produced carbons with larger mesopores (approximate to 4 nm) and high BET surface area (up to approximate to 1400 m(2) g(-1)). The investigation of the weight impregnation ratio of K2CO3/PET waste (1/1, 0.5/1 and 0.25/1) revealed that 1/1 generates the largest amount of mesopores (83%) besides high BET surface area (1210 m(2) g(-1)). These ACs were used as adsorbents for the methylene blue (MB) and victoria blue B (VB) dyes in order to evaluate the potential adsorption of organic contaminants of different molecular sizes from water. The MB adsorption was mainly dependent on the ACs' surface area, regardless of their pore size. The ACK 0.5/1 presented the highest MB adsorption capacity (625 mg g(-1)), considerably higher than that of a commercial AC (303 mg g(-1)). On the other hand, the highest adsorption amount of the bulky pollutant VB was obtained for the ACK 1/1 (323 mg g(-1)), possibly due to its higher mesoporosity and the presence of large mesopores of approximate to 4 nm size. These findings demonstrate the potential application of PET waste to produce value added products, such as activated carbons, for adsorption of organic contaminants from water, including relatively large pollutants. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/05006-5 - Contaminants removal from pharmaceutical industry effluents using new materials from waste biodiesel
• Grantee: Maraisa Gonçalves
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants