Adsorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) by activated carbon derived from waste coffee grounds

Abstract

Currently, three are several agricultural bio-based materials have been successfully utilized as gas adsorbents. In this study, waste coffee grounds (WCGs) have been selected as a potential precursor of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) adsorbents. The preparation parameters for activated carbon derived from WCGs were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimized preparation parameters were found to be 1:3.67 impregnation ratio of acid, 533oC of carbonization temperature and 1.13 hours of activation time, which resulted in 23.6 wt% of yield. The physical and chemical characteristics of WCGAC in terms of surface morphology, carbon content, ash content and yield were also investigated. The CO2 breakthrough time using WCGAC were carried out at the temperatures of 30, 40, and 60°C. It was found that WCGAC shows a longer CO2 breakthrough times (5 mins) and a higher adsorption capacity (4.33 mg CO2/g adsorbent) at 30oC.