Active Carbons from Algae Residue of Alginate Production Containing Groundwood

Active carbons obtained from various carbon-containing materials are highly porous carbon adsorbents with a developed internal surface. Particular attention should be paid to large-tonnage waste from the wood-chemical industry and agriculture, as well as wood processing. Such waste includes charcoal, lignin, sawdust and chips, pieces of bark, straw and husks from the processing of finished products, nut shells, fruit pits, and leaves of fruit trees. The porous substance obtained from wood raw materials has a high adsorption capacity, as well as a large specific surface area. In the course of the deep processing of brown algae at the Arkhangelsk Seaweed Factory, a large amount of organic waste is generated. The aim of the work has been to obtain active carbons from alginate waste consisting of 70 % wood flour. For this purpose, the method of thermochemical activation with sodium hydroxide as an activating agent has been used. The initial raw material has had a moisture content of 76 % and a diverse composition of mineral and organic substances. The research has been carried out as a planned experiment. The design chosen has been a 2nd-order central composite rotatable one for 3 factors. The independent variables have been the sodium hydroxide dosage, pyrolisis temperature and its duration. Based on the results of the study, the optimal values of these factors for obtaining active carbons from algal waste have been determined, as well as the optimal parameters affecting the sorption capacity and porous structure of active carbons. The work is of practical importance, since active carbon in powder and granular forms is actively used in various industries, including pharmaceutical, food, distillery, gas purification, wastewater treatment, biomedicine, and can also be used in agriculture as agricultural sorbents and soil improvement components. Based on the results of the research, it can be concluded that the use of organic waste as a raw material for the synthesis of active carbon by thermochemical activation with sodium hydroxide is of great interest.