Vignesh Sridharan,
Indra Neel Pulidindi,
Prakash Vaithyanathan,
Varadarajan Thirukallam Kanthadai,
Viswanathan Balasubramanian,
- Researcher Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, Adyar, Chennai India
- Scientific Consultant Jesus’ Scientific Consultancy for Industrial and Academic Research (JSCIAR), Tharamani Chennai India
- Science Teacher and Innovator, Science Teacher and Innovator 50, L.B road, Adyar, Chennai India
- Retired professor National Centre for Catalysis Research, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Chennai India
- Retired professor National Centre for Catalysis Research, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Chennai India
Abstract
Steam activation of the biochar from Sterculia foetida forms a green route for the synthesis of activated carbon material with high specific surface area (1017 m2/g). The corresponding value with a chemical activating agent (K2CO3) is much lower (596 m2/g). Structural parameters of the activated carbon materials were deduced from XRD studies. Moreover the thermal stability of the activated carbon materials from steam activation is nearly 100°C higher than that of the material derived from K2CO3 activation. The oxygen enrichment of the resulting carbon material from steam activation is on a part with that derived from K2CO3 activation as deduced from the FT-IR analysis. Thus a comparative study of the physical (steam) and chemical (K2CO3) with the specific example of fruit shells of Sterculia foetida as feedstock reveal that steam activation is a green strategy that could be a substitute to chemical methods of activation. The high specific surface area microporous carbon from the fruit shells of Sterculia foetida find applications for adsorption of dyes, toxic chemicals, metal impurities apart from being used as electrode materials for electric double layer super capacitors (EDLCs). Future directions in the use of the carbon material developed include applications such as the sonochemical deposition of the carbon material on wearable masks for protection against chemical and biological warfare, as support for noble and non-noble metal electrocatalysts for anode (methanol or ethanol or bioethanol electro-oxidation) and cathode (oxygen reduction), and as adsorbent for hazardous contaminants like Hg (II), As (V) and Cr (VI). Moreover, it is surmised that the rich spin density of the material will facilitate the improvement of the electrochemical device (batteries, super capacitors, fuel cells, and mitochondria mimics) performance via enhancement in the electrical conductivity.
Keywords: Sterculia foetida, microporous, activated carbon, activation, steam, chemical, K2CO3
[This article belongs to Journal of Water Pollution & Purification Research(jowppr)]
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Journal of Water Pollution & Purification Research
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 01 |
| Received | July 22, 2024 |
| Accepted | July 31, 2024 |
| Published | August 22, 2024 |