Cost-effective and sustainable high-performance supercapacitor material was successfully prepared from cellulosic waste (Sapindus trifoliatus nut shells) biomass-derived activated carbon (CBAC) by physical activation method. The CBAC displays nanofiber morphology, high specific surface area (786 m2/ g), large pore volume (0.212 cm3 g− 1) which are evaluated using FESEM, BET and possessed excellent electrochemical behavior analyzed through various electrochemical methods. Moreover, the assembled symmetric CBAC//CBAC device exhibits high specific capacitance of 240.8 F g− 1 with current density of 0.2 A g− 1 and it is maintained to 65.6 F g− 1 at high current density of 2.0 A g− 1. In addition, the symmetric device delivers an excellent specific energy maximum of over 30 Wh kg− 1 at 400 W kg− 1 of specific power and excellent cycling stability in long term over 5000 cycles. The operation of the device was tested by light-emitting diode. Hence, CBAC-based materials pave way for developing large-scale, low-cost materials for energy storage device applications.

In the present study, biomass-based lignin was extracted from industrial waste black liquor and the extracted lignin was characterized by means of attenuated total reflectance- Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The extracted lignin was carbonized at different temperatures and then activated with steam at 850oC. The extracted lignin in powder state was transformed into a bulky carbonized lignin due to possible fusion between the lignin particles occurring upon carbonization. The carbonized and then pulverized lignin exhibits brittle surfaces, the increased thermal stability, and the carbon assay with increasing the carbonization temperature. The scanning electron microscopic images and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller result indicate that the steam-activated carbon has the specific surface area of 1718 m2/g, which is markedly greater than the carbonized lignin. This study reveals that biomassbased activated carbon with highly porous structure can be produced from costless black liquor via steam-activation process.

The adsorption of Acid Blue 92 onto three low cost and ecofriendly biosorbents viz., cow dung ash, mango stone ash and parthenium leaves ash and commercial activated carbon have discussed in this work. The ash of all the mentioned bio-wastes was prepared in the muffle furnace at 500℃ and all the adsorbents were stored in an air thermostat. Experiments at total dye concentrations of 10~100 mg/L were carried out with a synthetic effluent prepared in the laboratory. The parameters such as pH and dye concentration were varied. Equilibrium adsorption data followed both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The results indicate that cow dung ash, mango stone ash and parthenium leaves ash could be employed as low-cost alternatives to commercial activated carbon in wastewater treatment for the removal of dye.

Study on the removal of Acid Green 20 by adsorption on indigenously prepared activated carbons from cow dung, mango stone, parthenium leaves and commercial activated carbon have been carried out with an aim to obtain information on treating effluents from tanneries. The effects of various experimental parameters have been investigated by following the batch adsorption technique. Adsorption data was modeled with the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. Removal of Acid Green 20 was found to be favorable using Biomass ash and could be considered as alternatives to commercial activated carbon for the treatment of tannery effluents, especially for the removal of dye(s).

The objective of this work is to study the feasibility of the preparation of the activated carbon (AC) from coconut tree flowers using high temperature fluidized bed reactor (HTFBR). The activating agent used in this work is steam. The reactor was operated at various activation temperature (650, 700, 750, 800 and 850℃) and activation time (30, 60, 120 and 240 min) for the production of AC from coconut tree flowers. Effect of activation time and activation temperature on the quality of the AC preparation was observed. Prepared AC was characterized in-terms of iodine number, methylene blue number, methyl violet number, ethylene glycol mono ethyl ether (EGME) surface area and SEM photographs. The best quality of AC from coconut tree flowers (CFC) was obtained at an activation temperature and time of 850℃ and 1 hr restectively. The effectiveness of carbon prepared from coconut tree flowers in adsorbing crystal violet from aqueous solution has been studied as a function of agitation time, carbon dosage, and pH. The adsorption of crystal violet onto AC followed second order kinetic model. Adsorption data were modeled using both Langmuir and Freundlich classical adsorption isotherms. The adsorption capacity qm was 277.78 mg/g., equilibrium time was found to be 180 min. This adsorbent from coconut tree flowers was found to be effective for the removal of CV dye.

바이오차는 바이오매스를 고온에서 열분해하여 생성되는 탄화물로써, 공기 중 이산화탄소가 바이오매스를 거쳐 탄소 형태로 바이오차로 전환된 것을 저장할 경우, 지구 탄소 사이클의 일부를 고정하는 효과가 있다. 이처럼 저감할 수 있는 온실가스의 양을 이산화탄소로 환산할 경우, 연간 1.0~1.8Gt CO2에 달한다고 보고된 바있다. IEA는 2050년까지 세계 전력 소비량의 7.5%를 바이오에너지로 공급하겠다는 로드맵을 수립한 바 있다. 바이오차는 탄소로 구성된 고체물질로 다양한 분야에 활용될 수 있는데 본 연구에서는 매년 전정되어지는 과수 전정지와 도정과정에서 나오는 왕겨 등의 농업부산물, 가지치기나 간벌재 등의 임업부산물을 바이오차로 제조하는 방법에 대하여 연구하였다. 이를 이용해서 수질정화, 공기정화, 캐퍼시터 등에 활용할 수 있는데 이를 위해서는 활성화 단계를 거쳐 활성탄을 제조할 필요가 있다. 본 연구에서는 다양한 바이오매스 유래의 바이오차를 이용하여 비표면적이 넓은 활성탄 제조방법에 대해 연구하였다.