We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effects of activation time and temperature on the performance of uniform-sized biochar for microplastic adsorption from wastewater
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers optimized CO₂ activation of pine-derived biochar for polystyrene microplastic removal, finding that increasing activation temperature to 850°C expanded surface area from 236 to 600 m²/g and drove removal efficiency to 99%, establishing activation temperature as the dominant tuning parameter for microplastic remediation performance.
Abstract This study investigates the efficacy of biochar derived from Southern Yellow Pine for the removal of polystyrene (PS) microplastics (0.2 µm) from aqueous solutions. Raw biochar was produced via carbonization and subsequently activated using CO 2 at temperatures ranging from 550 to 850°C for activation times of 1–4 h, and was sieved into uniform-sized adsorbents between 300 and 425 μm. The effects of these activation parameters on the biochar's physicochemical properties and microplastic adsorption performance were systematically evaluated. Surface characterization through N 2 adsorption, ultimate and proximate analyses, and FTIR revealed that activation significantly enhanced the specific surface area and porosity. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area increased from 235.6 m 2 /g for raw biochar to a maximum of 600.2 m 2 /g for biochar activated at 850°C for 1h. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated a strong correlation between surface area and adsorption capacity. The biochar activated at 850°C exhibited the highest microplastic removal efficiency of 99%, significantly outperforming the raw biochar and samples activated at lower temperatures. These findings highlight that thermal activation is a critical step for enhancing biochar’s properties and that tuning activation parameters, particularly temperature, is key to optimizing its performance for microplastic remediation in wastewater.
More Papers Like This
Low-Cost Biochar Adsorbents for Water Purification Including Microplastics Removal
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested steam-activated biochar made from pine and spruce bark as low-cost adsorbents for removing pollutants, including microplastics, from stormwater and wastewater. Steam activation at 800 degrees Celsius significantly increased porosity and adsorption capacity compared to unactivated biochar.
Investigation on the Impact of Varying Pyrolysis Temperature and Duration on the Effectiveness of Biochar in Removing Microplastics Using a Continuous-Flow Column-Based Process
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested charcoal-like material (biochar) made from agricultural waste, such as palm kernel shells, to filter microplastics from lab-made wastewater flowing through a column. Biochar produced at 600°C for 4 hours removed about 99% of microplastic particles, mainly by physically filtering them rather than through chemical attraction.
Biochar-facilitated remediation of nanoplastic contaminated water: Effect of pyrolysis temperature induced surface modifications
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers synthesized sugarcane bagasse biochar at three pyrolysis temperatures and found that biochar produced at 750°C removed over 99% of nanoplastics from water within 5 minutes, with monolayer sorption kinetics and a capacity of 44.9 mg/g, offering a rapid and efficient agricultural-waste-derived remediation approach.
Addition of biochar as thin preamble layer into sand filtration columns could improve the microplastics removal from water
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that adding a thin biochar layer to sand filtration columns greatly improved microplastic removal from water, with biochar produced at higher pyrolysis temperatures performing better due to stronger electrostatic interactions with plastic particles.
Biochar-based adsorption technologies for microplastic remediation in aquatic ecosystems
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines the use of biochar, a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, as a tool for removing microplastics from water. Biochar can effectively adsorb microplastic particles due to its porous structure and surface chemistry, and it can be produced cheaply from agricultural waste. The technology shows promise as an affordable and sustainable approach to reducing microplastic contamination in waterways, though challenges remain in scaling it up for real-world water treatment.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.