Preparation and characterization of new adsorbent materials from the olive wastes

In this study, we have used several techniques for the characterization of two types of activated carbons prepared from olive wastes. Indeed, their pore texture and their surface chemical nature were analyzed by means of adsorption of methylene blue and iodine, N$_{2}$ and CO$_{2}$ adsorption, mercury porosimetry, desorption on programmed temperature, and scanning electron microscopy.
All the obtained results are compared with those of the commercial activated carbon used by National Office of Drinking Water (ONEP)

Natural gas storage in microporous carbon obtained from waste of the olive oil production

A series of activated carbons (AC) were prepared from waste of the olive oil production in the Cuyo Region, Argentine by two standard methods: a) physical activation by steam and b) chemical activation with ZnCl2. The AC samples were characterized by nitrogen adsorption at 77 K and evaluated for natural gas storage purposes through the adsorption of methane at high pressures. The activated carbons showed micropore volumes up to 0.50 cm³.g-1 and total pore volumes as high as 0.9 cm³.g-1. The BET surface areas reached, in some cases, more than 1000 m².g-1. The methane adsorption -measured in the range of 1-35 bar- attained values up to 59 V CH4/V AC and total uptakes of more than 120 cm³.g-1 (STP). These preliminary results suggest that Cuyo's olive oil waste is appropriate for obtaining activated carbons for the storage of natural gas

Adsorption of mercury (II) from liquid solutions using modified activated carbons

Mercury is one of the most toxic metals present in the environment. Adsorption has been proposed among the technologies for mercury abatement. Activated carbons are universal adsorbents which have been found to be a very effective alternative for mercury removal from water. The effectiveness with which a contaminant is adsorbed by the solid surface depends, among other factors, on the charge of the chemical species in which the contaminant is in solution and on the net charge of the adsorbent surface which depend on the pH of the adsorption system. In this work, activated carbon from carbonized eucalyptus wood was used as adsorbent. Two sulphurization treatments by impregnation with sulphuric acid and with carbon disulphide, have been carried out to improve the adsorption capacity for mercury entrapment. Batch adsorption tests at different temperatures and pH of the solution were carried out. The influence of the textural properties, surface chemistry and operation conditions on the adsorption capacity, is discussed