Carbonaized carbon aerogels derived from pomelo peels for sorption of some organic solvents

Carbonaized carbon aerogels derived from pomelo peels for sorption of some organic solventsAgriculture and Natural Resources -- formerly Kasetsart Journal (Natural Science), Volume 058, Issue 1, January - February 2024, Pages 81-88ISSN: 2452-316X(0075-5192)DOI: doi.org/10.34044/j.anres.2024.58.1.09Thitiya Punga, Varangkana Jitchumb, Sitthichok Srisangb, Patchanee Vichitbandha,*, Thanawan Panich-pata,* Download29 Downloads, Cited by N/A aEnvironmental Science and Technology Program, Department of Science and Bioinnovation, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Sean campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, ThailandbDepartment of Physical and Material Sciences, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Sean campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand*Corresponding author, e-mail: , faastwp@ku.ac.th AbstractImportance of the work: Agricultural waste materials can be used to fabricate carbon aerogels that can absorb contaminated organic solvents. Objectives: To investigate the potential of pomelo peel carbon aerogel (PCA) as a potential sorbent for organic solvents from the surface of water. Materials & Methods: The peel was removed from pomelo fruits and cut into small pieces, before placing in a freezer at -20°C for 24 hr, followed by freeze-drying at -80 °C for 48 hr and then carbonizing in a muffle furnace at 300°C for 3 hr. Afterward, the carbonized product was characterized for morphology and tested for sorption capacity and reusability. Results: The average density and porosity of the PCA were 0.0777 g/cm3 and 96.12%, respectively. PCA had an interconnected, porous morphology and contained hydrophobic functional groups. The PCA sorption capacities for n-hexane, benzene and toluene floating on the surface of water for 10 s, 20 s and 30 s were in the ranges 5.20–5.96 g/g, 5.34–6.06 g/g and 6.66–7.66 g/g, respectively. The maximum PCA sorption capacities for n-hexane and benzene were at 20 s, while for toluene the maximum sorption capacity was at 10 s. At 20 s, the PCA absorbed more toluene (7.48 ± 0.26 g/g; mean ± SD) than benzene (6.06 ± 0.24 g/g) and n-hexane (5.96 ± 0.16 g/g), respectively. After five cycles of reuse, the PCA sorption capacities for n-hexane, benzene and toluene remained similar to the high values of the initial uptake. Main finding: The PCA, as characterized by water contact angle, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, had an interconnected, porous morphology and hydrophobic functional groups. PCA expressed good sorption capacity for n-hexane, benzene and toluene floating on surface water and had sustained reusability for five cycles. KeywordsCarbon aerogel, Organic solvents, Pomelo peel, Sorption Downloads