Microwave biochars produced with activated carbon catalyst: Characterization and sorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Xueyang Zhang; Wei Xiang; Xudong Miao; Feiyue Li; Guangdou Qi; Chengcheng Cao; Xuewen Ma; Shigeng Chen; Andrew R Zimmerman; Bin Gao

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153996

Microwave biochars produced with activated carbon catalyst: Characterization and sorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Sci Total Environ. 2022 Jun 25:827:153996. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153996. Epub 2022 Feb 19.

Authors

Xueyang Zhang¹, Wei Xiang², Xudong Miao², Feiyue Li³, Guangdou Qi², Chengcheng Cao², Xuewen Ma⁴, Shigeng Chen⁴, Andrew R Zimmerman⁵, Bin Gao⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental Engineering, Xuzhou University of Technology, Xuzhou 221018, China. Electronic address: zhaxuy@xzit.edu.cn.
² College of Environmental Engineering, Xuzhou University of Technology, Xuzhou 221018, China.
³ College of Resources and Environment Science, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang 233100, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Humic Acid Fertilizer of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shandong Agricultural University Fertilizer Technology Co. Ltd, Feicheng, Shandong 271600, China.
⁵ Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
⁶ Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

PMID: 35189217
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153996

Abstract

A series of microwave biochars derived from wheat straw in the presence of a granulated activated carbon (GAC) catalyst, using a range of microwave conditions, were produced, characterized and tested as sorbents of three benzene series volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The microwave biochar with the greatest specific surface area (SSA), total pore volume (TPV), and micropore volume (312.62 m² g^-1, 0.2218 cm³ g^-1, and 0.1380 cm³ g^-1, respectively), were produced with 1:3 biomass:GAC catalyst mass ratio, 10 min microwave irradiation time, and at 500 W power level (WB500). Maximum adsorption capacities of WB500 to benzene, toluene and o-xylene were 53.9 mg g^-1, 75.8 mg g^-1 and 63.0 mg g^-1, respectively, and were directly correlated to microwave biochar properties such as SSA, TPV or micropore volume, but were also influenced by VOC properties such as molecular polarity and boiling point. Kinetic modeling suggested that adsorption was governed by both physical partitioning and chemisorption mechanisms. In addition, microwave biochars maintained 79% to 92% of their initial adsorption capacity after ten adsorption/desorption cycles. These results suggest that microwave biochars produced with an GAC catalyst have excellent potential for efficient use in the removal of VOCs from waste gas.

Keywords: Activated carbon catalysis; Adsorption; Air quality; Microwave biochar; Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Benzene
Charcoal*
Microwaves
Volatile Organic Compounds*

Substances

Volatile Organic Compounds
biochar
Charcoal
Benzene