American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2017, 8, 515-522
http://www.scirp.org/journal/ajac
ISSN Online: 2156-8278
ISSN Print: 2156-8251
DOI: 10.4236/ajac.2017.88037 Aug. 30, 2017 515 American Journal of Analytical Chemistry
The Use of Eucalyptus Activated Biocarbon for
Water Treatment-Adsorption Processes
Roberta M. Nunes, Damaris Costa, Nilce Ortiz
*
Center for Environmental Chemistry, Institute for Nuclear and Energy Research-IPEN, São Paulo, Brazil
Abstract
A biocarbon after activation process showed the removal percentage of 92% of
methylene blue in solution, the equilibrium parameter—RL value was in the
interval from 0 to 1, with 46% of surface coverage degree. The Freundlich con-
stant (n) was higher than 1 as an indication of the physical adsorption process.
The Radlich-Peterson calculations obtained the higher R
2
value which g con-
stant near 1, a high similarity with Langmuir model. Temkin constant B1 was
a positive indication of endothermic process. All calculations provided favor-
able results for the use of activated biocarbon for dye removing and possible
for other organic substances.
Keywords
Biocarbon, Radlich-Peterson, Eucalyptus, Temkin
1. Introduction
Used worldwide as soil amendment the biocarbon was first cited in the literature
as “Terra Preta de Indios” (Amazon Dark Earth) because the Brazil is the largest
producer with enormous different kinds and quantities of fine biocarbon. The
agroindustry produces different biomass as sugar-cane bagasse, wood and paper
mill waste, biofuel waste industry and sewage sludge are making Brazil an im-
portant actor in biocarbon production and use for different scenarios [1].
The biocarbon is amorphous materials characterized by its expanded surface
area, porosity and the availability of surface active adsorption centers which the
ability to bond and remove gases, metals, and organic compounds. Currently,
there is an imbalance in the carbon cycle, with CO
2
emissions grow to the at-
mosphere and little Carbon retention by the environment compartments, the
direct effect is the necessity to develop methods to sequester the atmospheric
How to cite this paper: Nunes, R.M.,
Costa, D. and Ortiz, N. (2017) The Use of
Eucalyptus Activated Biocarbon for Water
Treatment-Adsorption Processes. Ameri-
can Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 8,
515-522.
https://doi.org/10.4236/ajac.2017.88037
Received: June 29, 2017
Accepted: August 27, 2017
Published: August 30, 2017
Copyright © 2017 by authors and
Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution International
License (CC BY 4.0).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Open Access