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Physico-chemical properties of activated carbons prepared from almond shell: Application for the removal of total organic carbon from Tunisian industrial phosphoric acid

Abdessalem Omri, Mourad Benzina, Wassim Trabelsi

Activated carbons were prepared through physical activation of almond shell precursor, using carbon dioxide as the physical agent. The effects of the preparation variables, such as activation temperature, carbon dioxide flowrate and activation time, on the adsorption capacity of iodine andmethylene blue solution were investigated. The activated carbon which had the highest iodine and methylene blue numbers was obtained by these conditions as follows: 800 °C activation temperature, 100 cm3/min carbon dioxide flowrate and 120min activation time. The characterization of carbonmaterials is performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 13C (CP/MAS and MAS) solid-state NMR, nitrogen adsorption (BET) and BoehmÂ’s titration method. For the determination of the adsorptive capacity of the activated carbon, removal of total organic carbon fromTunisian industrial phosphoric acid was carried. Experimental results showed that TOC could be adsorbed effectively by the oxidized almond shell-activated carbon. The eliminatory capacity of these activated carbons was comparable with those of some commercial activated carbons.