3768 Preparation, characterization, and application of spent tyre-derived activated carbon chars for total organic carbon removal from wastewater
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/Abstract
The increasing accumulation of scrap tyres, which pose significant fire hazards, and the high-cost disposal of pyrolytic spent tyre-derived char (PTDC) generated during pyrolysis present serious environmental and health concerns. This study investigates the thermal processing of spent tyre crumb rubber (TC) and its PTDC to produce spent tyre-derived activated carbon chars (STACCs) with enhanced physicochemical properties for total organic carbon (TOC) removal from malodorous starch wastewater (SWW), via both physical and chemical activation methods. Samples were characterised using various analyses. Notably, TC2 (TC activated at 850 °C) and TCA2 (TC leached with aqua-regia (TCA) and activated 850 °C exhibited rough surface morphologies, with surface areas of 146 m²/g and 300 m²/g, and pore volumes of 0.8 m³/g and 0.5 m³/g, respectively—values approaching those of other commercial activated carbon (AC). These enhanced surface area and pore structure were attributed to the volatilisation of organic and inorganic species, as well as, the rupture and agglomeration of spherical amorphous particles formed during activation. TC2 and TCA2 achieved TOC removal efficiencies of 56–63% from SWW, compared to 80% by AC. These findings suggest that spent tyres are a promising feedstock for producing STACCs suitable for the adsorption of organic matter from industrial wastewater.
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