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Preparation, characterisation and adsorption performance of KOH-modified palm fibre, platanus bark and sesame stem biochar

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Abstract

This study systematically explored the effect of the conditions adopted for the preparation of biochar on its adsorption performance. Palm tree fibre, sesame stalk and Platanus bark were chosen as raw materials and converted to biochar using a temperature-controlled vacuum carbonization method. This was then modified using KOH across various alkali–carbon ratios, activation temperatures and activation times, and the adsorption performance of the resulting samples was analyzed. Characterization analyses based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunner Emmet Teller (BET) measurements, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) revealed that after KOH activation, the biochar samples exhibited numerous defects and cross-sections, huge specific surface areas and abundant pore structures, all of which serve as adsorption sites. Characteristic functional groups(For example –OH and NH–), which significantly enhance adsorption, also increased. The iodine adsorption values of all three types of biochar initially increased and then decreased with the increase in pyrolysis temperature. An orthogonal test showed that the order, based on adsorption performance, of the three types of biochar prepared and modified under optimal conditions was palm tree fibre biochar (1628.55 mg.g−1) > sesame stalk biochar (1485.23 mg.g−1) > Platanus bark biochar (1360.43 mg.g−1). Their adsorption performances exceeded the national first-class product limit standard, implying that they exhibited good usability. This indicates that a lower alkali–carbon ratio can be used to obtain near-optimal results, thereby reducing corrosion and saving on production costs.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41201224); Henan Province Science and Technology Research Project (192102110050); Project for the Training of Young Backbone Teachers of Higher Education Institutions in Henan Province (2018GGJS047).

Funding

This study was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (41201224).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, Henan, People’s Republic of China

    H. Wang, Y. Du & H. Zhang

  2. College of Agricultural Equipment Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471003, People’s Republic of China

    Y. Song

  3. Liming Research & Design Institute of Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Luoyang, 471012, People’s Republic of China

    H. Zhang

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  1. H. Wang
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Hui Wang, Yang Song, Hao Zhang and Yilu Du. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Yang Song and Yilu Du was responsible for some experiments of biochar preparation. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to H. Wang.

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Editorial responsibility: S.Mirkia.

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Wang, H., Du, Y., Song, Y. et al. Preparation, characterisation and adsorption performance of KOH-modified palm fibre, platanus bark and sesame stem biochar. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-024-05790-7

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