Synthesis and characterization of activated carbon produced from hazelnut peels by chemical activation

Activated carbon was prepared in this research from hazelnut (Corylus avellana) peels with some additives, which included polymeric waste (polymethyl methacrylate, PMMA), and the raw material was ground to facilitate handling and different amounts of sodium hydroxide were added to it and the ratio peels:NaOH was 1:0.5?1:2.5. The peels were also treated with polymeric waste materials at ratios of 5?25% and a basic ratio of 1:2 at a temperature of 550 ?C as it is considered an environmental pollutant and then part of it was disposed of by preparing a material with great economic feasibility. Then, the adsorption properties of the prepared samples (methylene dye), iodine number, density, humidity, and yield were evaluated and compared with the British and Russian commercial models, and SEM, and FT-IR techniques were used to characterize the prepared activated samples. The results showed that activated carbon samples prepared from hazelnut peels were characterized by a high iodine number (895 mg/g), methylene blue dye adsorption capacity (98.4 mg/g), and yield (15.0%). As for the samples prepared from hazelnut peels with PMMA, an increase was observed in the iodine values (1015 mg/g) and the adsorption capacity for methylene blue dye reached (148 mg/g ) and yield also increased. This indicates that the addition process was a positive step in improving the specifications and productivity of activated carbon. As for the density and ash, humidity values, they were within the permissible limits for all the prepared activated carbon samples, and thus they greatly exceeded the specifications of commercial carbon samples. This article has been corrected. Link to the correction 10.2298/CICEQ251218034E