Elaboración y caracterización de carbón activado a partir de residuos agroindustriales para reducir fluoruros en aguas de consumo

Abstract

Samples of activated carbon were prepared and characterized by the agroindustrial lignocellulosic residue of yuyo de papa, to reduce the concentration of fluorides in the drinking water of the communities Pungalapamba and Puruhaypamba. Activated carbon was obtained in a pyrolysis system under a controlled nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature of 400 ° C for thirty minutes and was potentiated in a muffle at 600 ° C in 40 minutes. The chemical activation of the carbonaceous material is carried out by employing three activating compounds, 20% phosphoric acid, 10% potassium hydroxide, and 40% zinc chloride. The characterization of the active carbon precursor material is determined by determining the parameters of humidity percentage at 15.08%, ash content at 4.95%, fixed carbon at 21.06%, and volatile material at 75.6%. The characterization of activated carbon was studied using the same characterization parameters, in addition to tests in FT-IR spectroscopy, which determined that the 3 carbon samples, although they differ in the activating agent, share some functional groups, such as primary amides, secondary amides, acetylenes and phosphines. Images obtained with the scanning electron microscope reveal the porous structure of the carbon and elemental analysis on the surface revealed an increase in Al and Mg variations in the carbon treated by chemical activation. The activated carbon treated with ZnCl2 was the major adsorbent of F-, and its behavior when varying its pH evidences a change in its efficiency of removal or removal of contaminants from 20.95% to 75% in an acid medium.