Developing self-activated lignosulfonate-based porous carbon material for ethylene adsorption,

Abstract

This study applied lignosulfonate as raw material to develop porous carbon for ethylene adsorption, followed by testing for this material’s ethylene adsorption efficiency and capacity. The results indicated that the gas released (CH4, H2, CO, and CO2) during pyrolysis could generate a pore structure on lignosulfonate-based carbon surface, regarded as the self-activated mechanism. Pore structure formation increased pore volume and resulted in generation of various pore shapes. When carbonization temperature was less than 800 °C, specific surface area of the samples increased with temperature, and it decreased otherwise. Moreover, with increasing carbonization temperature, the samples’ carbon content increased but hydrogen content decreased. Ethylene adsorption uptake increased as carbonization temperature increased. Adsorption capacity was maximum when carbonization temperature was 800 °C. It was influenced by the pore structure, and specifically, it increased as micropore volume increased. In addition, physical adsorption was the main mechanism of ethylene adsorption for the lignosulfonate-based porous carbon, leading to efficient adsorption-desorption cycles. Finally, its application as an ethylene scavenger can potentially transcend currently available products.