PREPARATION OF ACTIVATED CARBONS FROM BANANA LEAVES BY CHEMICAL ACTIVATION WITH PHOSPHORIC ACID. ADSORPTION OF METHYLENE BLUE

 

M.A. Martín-González, P. Susial, J. Pérez-Peña and J.M. Doña-Rodríguez

 

 

  • Six activated carbons were prepared from banana leaves with phosphoric acid.

  • This waste has not been evaluated previously for the production of activated carbon.

  • Acid concentration (18.9 and 27.6 wt%) and carbonization temperature (450, 550 and 650ºC) were modified in the process.

  • Specific surface areas BET between 798.5 and 1227.6 m2/g and total pore volumes between 0.83 and 1.29 cm3/g were obtained.

  • The favourable adsorption of Methylene Blue followed a pseudo-second order kinetic with monolayer adsorption capacity between 19.08 and 48.01 mg/g.