Exploring on the optimal preparation conditions of activated carbon produced from solid waste produced from sugar industry and Chinese medicine factory

The waste biomass produced from sugar industry and Chinese medicine factory such as bagasse, reed root residue, pueraria residue and liquorice residue were selected as the raw material for the preparation of activated carbon with zinc chloride as activator. With the same activation time, the influence of temperature and impregnation ratio on the preparation of activated carbon was investigated and the reasonable preparation conditions of activated carbon were monitored and analyzed. The obtained activated carbon samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, methylene blue adsorption, thermogravimetric analysis and nitrogen adsorption–desorption. Analysis from the experimental data, bagasse, reed root residue, pueraria residue are suitable for preparing activated carbon. For bagasse, the optimum preparation condition was 700 °C and the impregnation ratio was 1:1, the adsorption capacity of methylene blue reached 246.83 mg/g at the moment. For reed root residue, the optimum preparation condition was 600 °C and the impregnation ratio was 1:2, the adsorption capacity of methylene blue reached 268.07 mg/g at the moment. For Pueraria residue, the optimum preparation condition was 700 °C and the impregnation ratio was 1:2. The adsorption capacity of methylene blue reached 297.33 mg/g at the moment.