Assessing Recycled Precursors for Activated Carbon Production: Structural Insights and Environmental Implications

The growing demand for sustainable materials drives innovative approaches to convert waste into valuable products. This study investigates four recycled precursors – rice husk, pistachio shell, anthracite, and waste styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) – for producing activated carbon with potential environmental and industrial applications. Each precursor varies in origin and composition, representing biogenic-siliceous, lignocellulosic, mineral, and polymeric waste types, respectively. Using comprehensive physicochemical characterization, including SEM and XRD analyses, the structural features and pore architectures of activated carbons derived from these precursors were examined. Rice husk exhibited a well-connected microporous network aided by its inherent silica content; pistachio shell showed mesoporosity with less ordered structure, while anthracite presented a dense microporous graphitic matrix. Carbon from waste SBR featured spherical particles with mesoporous character and sulfur functionalities beneficial for volatile organic compound adsorption. The study highlights how precursor composition influences pore development, surface chemistry, and thermal stability – key factors determining activated carbon performance. Moreover, this work emphasizes sustainability by promoting circular economy principles, turning diverse waste streams into high-value carbon materials with potential roles in pollution control, catalysis, and composite applications. This integrated structure–function–sustainability assessment provides valuable guidance for selecting suitable waste precursors tailored to specific activated carbon uses.