Surface Charge Effects on Adsorption of Solutes by Poplar and Elm Biochars
Open Access
- 25 January 2021
- Vol. 7 (1), 11
- https://doi.org/10.3390/c7010011
Abstract
Elm and poplar are two tree species that can provide a large amount of low-value feedstock for biochar production due to their rapid growth rate (poplar), and susceptibility to disease and/or infestation (both elm and poplar). Biochar has been studied recently as filtration medium for water purification, as it provides a renewable alternative to activated carbon. In this work, the adsorption efficiency of biochars made from elm and poplar as a function of pyrolysis temperature were studied by ultraviolet (UV) adsorption of dyes with positive, neutral, and negative charges to determine what factors had the greatest effect on adsorption of these dyes. It was found that conductivity of the biochars increased with pyrolysis temperature, and that this factor was more important than surface area in terms of adsorbing charged dyes. Both elm and poplar biochars were not effective in adsorbing neutral dyes. This research demonstrates that elm and poplar biochars adsorb charged (either positively or negatively) solutes more efficiently than uncharged ones because they carry both charges themselves. Therefore, these biochars would make excellent candidates as renewable filtration media for charged contaminants.This publication has 25 references indexed in Scilit:
- Hydrothermal carbonization synthesis of cassava slag biochar with excellent adsorption performance for Rhodamine BJournal of Cleaner Production, 2019
- High-performance porous biochar from the pyrolysis of natural and renewable seaweed (Gelidiella acerosa) and its application for the adsorption of methylene blueBioresource Technology, 2019
- Preparation and Characterization of Macroalgae Biochar Nanomaterials with Highly Efficient Adsorption and Photodegradation AbilityMaterials, 2018
- Calcium-rich biochar from crab shell: An unexpected super adsorbent for dye removalBioresource Technology, 2018
- Mechanistic understanding of crystal violet dye sorption by woody biochar: implications for wastewater treatmentEnvironmental Geochemistry and Health, 2017
- Surface characterization of oxidized biochar fibers derived from Luffa Cylindrica and lanthanide bindingJournal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2017
- A review of biochar as a low-cost adsorbent for aqueous heavy metal removalCritical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 2015
- The potential role of biochar in the removal of organic and microbial contaminants from potable and reuse water: A reviewChemosphere, 2015
- Organic and inorganic contaminants removal from water with biochar, a renewable, low cost and sustainable adsorbent – A critical reviewBioresource Technology, 2014
- Characteristics of biochar produced from slow pyrolysis of Geodae-Uksae 1Bioresource Technology, 2013