Break
AIChE Annual Meeting
2017
2017 Annual Meeting
Forest and Plant Bioproducts Division - See also ICE
Lignin for Sustainable Industrial Uses
Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - 4:07pm to 4:32pm
Coffee is the worldâs second largest traded commodity, and its consumption inevitably results in waste, including spent coffee grinds (SCG). In this work, SGC is considered as a precursor for activated carbon (AC) production, with simultaneous Fe impregnation via ferric ammonium citrate (FAC). Three Fe:C mole ratios were considered (1:10, 3:10 and 5:10). SCG carbonization occurred in 0.5 liters per minute (LPM) N2 at up to 600 oC for 1 h. Physical activation of the recovered char occurred in 0.5 LPM CO2 at 800 oC for 30 min with a ramp rate of 10 oC/min. Products were characterized using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, pH of the point of zero charge, thermogravimetric analysis, bulk elemental analysis, and N2 adsorption. Prepared carbon support were porous, with BET surface areas as high as 180 m2/g. Bulk iron loadings reached 2.4 wt%, with partially reduced Fe3O4 as the primary impregnated iron species. High nitrogen content in SCG and FAC jointly contribute to nitrogen-doping of Fe/C products. Performance testing for environmental applications was completed using volatile organic compounds and hexavalent chromium. Achieved contaminant removals are attributed to adsorptive and/or reductive properties of Fe/C materials. In sum, this work utilizes a plentiful industrial waste to produce tailored Fe impregnated ACs that exhibit promising performance for gaseous and aqueous pollutant removal.