Preparation, characterization, and dye removal study of activated carbon prepared from palm kernel shell.

Palm oil mill wastes (palm kernel shell (PKS)) were used to prepare activated carbons, which were tested in the removal of colorants from water. The adsorbents were prepared by 1-h impregnation of PKS with ZnCl2 as the activating agent (PKS:ZnCl2 mass ratios of 1:1 and 2:1), followed by carbonization in autogenous atmosphere at 500 and 550 °C during 1 h. The characterization of the activated carbons included textural properties (porosity), surface chemistry (functional groups), and surface morphology. The dye removal performance of the different activated carbons was investigated by means of the uptake of methylene blue (MB) in solutions with various initial concentrations (25-400 mg/L of MB) at 30 °C, using a 0.05-g carbon/50-mL solution relationship. The sample prepared with 1:1 PKS:ZnCl2 and carbonized at 550 °C showed the highest MB adsorption capacity (maximum uptake at the equilibrium, q max = 225.3 mg MB / g adsorbent), resulting from its elevated specific surface area (BET, 1058 m2/g) and microporosity (micropore surface area, 721 m2/g). The kinetic experiments showed that removals over 90% of the equilibrium adsorptions were achieved after 4-h contact time in all the cases. The study showed that palm oil mill waste biomass could be used in the preparation of adsorbents efficient in the removal of colorants in wastewaters.

Conversion of pine sawdust bio-oil (raw and thermally processed) over equilibrium FCC catalysts.

A raw bio-oil from pine sawdust, the liquid product from its thermal conditioning and a synthetic bio-oil composed by eight model compounds representing the main chemical groups in bio-oils, were converted thermally and over a commercial equilibrium FCC catalyst. The experiments were performed in a fixed bed reactor at 500 °C. The highest hydrocarbon yield (53.5 wt.%) was obtained with the conditioned liquid. The coke yields were significant in all the cases, from 9 to 14 wt.%. The synthetic bio-oil produced lesser hydrocarbons and more oxygenated compounds and coke than the authentic feedstocks from biomass. The previous thermal treatment of the raw bio-oil had the positive effects of increasing 25% the yield of hydrocarbons, decreasing 55% the yield of oxygenated compounds and decreasing 20% the yield of coke, particularly the more condensed coke.