Removal of organic solvents/oils using carbon aerogels derived from waste durian shell

The water contamination caused by organic solvents and oils has become the focus of attention and research for every country in the world. This study was focused on the preparation method of the carbon aerogel using waste durian shell (DSCA) as the biomass precursor and its application in removal of organic pollutants. A variety of characterization techniques including the water contact angle (WCA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N-2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy had been exploited to investigate the synthesized materials. The results indicated that DSCA had an interconnected mesoporous structure mainly composed of the defective graphitic layers and its specific surface area was 734.96 m(2)/g. Furthermore, the prepared carbon aerogels were applied to the adsorption of various organic liquids and oils in our daily life. The recyclability of DSCA was also tested in this work. DSCA, therefore, might be an alternative adsorbent for removal of organic solvents/oils in polluted waters. (C) 2017 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.