Produção de carvão ativado a partir de bagaço e melaço de cana-de-açúcar

Abstract

Activated carbons were prepared from mixtures of sugar cane bagasse and molasses in bagasse:molasses mass ratios from 1:0 to 1:2. The mixture was pressed to form pellets, and pyrolyzed under N2 flow of 150 mL·min-1, at 850°C, for 1 hour. The pyrolyzed carbons were activated with CO2, under the flow of 75 mL·min-1 at 850°C for 30 min. The activated carbons were characterized by an analysis of nitrogen adsorption isotherms (77 K), pH, and solutions decolorization of sugar cane molasses (1% w/v). Results showed that the activated carbons presented yield of 23% in relation to the initial pellets, surface areas from 272 to 455 m2·g-1, and that micro and mesopores were predominant in the pore size distribution. Activated carbons made with a smaller amount of molasses in the mixture were as efficient in the decolorization as a commercial reference carbon.