Preparation and Characterization Of Active Carbon Microspheres Obtained From Fructose And Adsorption Application

Abstract

Carbon material with active surface properties have been synthesized by hydrothermal method from fructose using 40% and 80% phosphoric acid (H3 PO4 ) solution, at temperature of 260°C and fructose concentration of 2M. The aim of this investigation was active carbon material synthesis which is completed by one step reaction, which was not the case in our previous works. Thus, compared with other samples from our works, this way is more economic and faster since both reaction of carbonization and activation was finished in one step. The hydrothermal process, in general, includes heat treatment of carbohydrate solutions under autogenous pressure at low temperatures (150–260 °C). Obtained solid carbon material has uniform morphology, amorphous structure and high content of oxygen functional groups. Prepared active carbon material is made up of spherical microsphere particles with the diameter in the range of 0.6-2.7 μm. The morphology and surface properties of obtained material were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. Adsorption and desorption isotherms of N2 were measured on carbon containing material at -196 °C using the gravimetric McBain method. Adsorption from aqueous solutions of Methylene Blue (MB) onto prepared carbon material was conducted by changing concentration of MB from 200-500mg/dm3 . The best fit of the kinetic results was achieved by a pseudo second-order equation. Also, this nature of material is applicable in other systems regarding environmental protection and dye pollution prevention.