Analysis of development textural activated carbon from zea mays

Abstract

Some agricultural residues may be useful to produce adsorbent materials such as activated carbons. Such is the case of Zea mays, which was used as starting material in this research, this residue comes from the separation of the grains from the cob. For the preparation of activated carbon, initially free cob of corn kernels is carbonized at 400 ° C, subsequently carbonized were chemically activated with orthophosphoric acid, activated carbons obtained were modified with nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide preheating to 600 °C to observe the textural development. The solids were characterized by a final analysis for determining the surface area were conducted adsorption isotherms by the BET method using Micromeritics Gemini 2375. Activation with orthophosphoric acid increased carbon content and reduced oxygen content. Micropores area increased by treatment with HNO3 and H2 O2 from 278.3 m2 g-1hasta 401.7 m2g-1 and 446.4 m2 g-1, respectively, most of the total developed area corresponded to micropores. The pH coals generated was approximately 3, which was determined in aqueous solutions after washing with distilled water and these materials showed the same values in the COOH groups to 2.12 meq g-1.

Keywords

• zea mays
• activation
• orthophosphoric
• micropores