Highly Efficient Multisubstrate Agricultural Waste-Derived Activated Carbon for Enhanced CO2 Capture

Activated carbon (AC) made of single-substrate agricultural wastes is considered to be a suitable raw material for the production of low-cost adsorbents; however, the large-scale application of these materials is highly limited by their low efficiency, seasonal scarcity, poor stability, low surface area, and limited CO2, adsorption performance. In this study, composite activated carbon (CAC) was prepared via controlled carbonization followed by chemical activation of four wastes (i.e., peanut shell, coffee husk, corn cob, and banana peel) at an appropriate weight ratio. The Na2CO3-activated CAC showed a higher surface area and valuable textural properties for CO2 adsorption as compared with KOH- and NaOH-activated CAC. The CAC production parameters, including impregnation ratio, impregnation time, carbonization temperature, and time, were optimized in detail. The as-prepared CACs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Raman spectroscopy, N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, and iodine number analysis. The CAC produced at optimal conditions exhibited the highest CO2 removal efficiency and adsorption capacity of 96.2% and 8.86 wt %, respectively, compared with the single-biomass-derived activated carbon. The enhanced CO2, adsorption performance is due to the large surface area, a considerable extent of mesopores, and suitable pore width. The adsorbent in this study reveals a promising strategy for mitigating the CO2 emission problems instead of more expensive and ineffective materials.

Automated summary

Composite activated carbon (CAC) was prepared from agricultural wastes such as peanut shell, coffee husk, corn cob, and banana peel through controlled carbonization and chemical activation. The CAC showed higher CO2 adsorption performance compared to single-biomass-derived activated carbon, due to its larger surface area and suitable pores. This study provides a promising strategy for mitigating CO2 emissions using low-cost and efficient adsorbents.