Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Preparation of activated charcoal from Acrocomia aculeata for purification of pretreated crude glycerol

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Activated charcoal was prepared from Acrocomia aculeata (macaúba) endocarp by ZnCl2 activation and then used for the adsorptive purification of pretreated crude glycerol (CG) containing pigments, such as β-carotene. The pretreatment of glycerol involved filtration of the K3PO4 formed by the addition of H3PO4 to the crude glycerol containing KOH. A mixture of 1.38:1 w/w of ZnCl2:Acrocomia aculeata pulp was heated at 120 °C with stirring for 24 h. The mixture was activated by heating at 600 °C for 3 h. The activated charcoal was cooled to 25 °C, washed with a 1:1 mixture of methanol and water (100 mL) and heated at 150 °C for 2 h. The surface properties of the activated charcoal (surface area 627 m2 g−1, pore volume 0.39 m3 g−1, Bronsted sites 118.23 μmol g−1, and Lewis sites 104.86 μmol g−1) and the adsorption capacity for impurities in H3PO4-pretreated crude glycerol were investigated. The activated charcoal exhibited the most suitable surface properties for the purification of pretreated crude glycerol, attaining a 95.99% glycerol concentration (by GC) using 10 g/L with gravity filtration through a column at room temperature over a 48-h period. The purified glycerol was characterized by GC/MS, 1H- and 13C-NMR, and DSC and TG analyses. The activated charcoal was regenerated by washing with methanol and hexane and heating to 150 °C for 5 h. The activated charcoal could be re-used three times to remove all of the pigments before it was necessary to re-activate the charcoal by heating with ZnCl2.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Zahan KA, Kano M (2017) biodiesel production from palm oil, its by-products, and mill effluent: a review. Energies. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/8/2132/pdf

  2. Wang T (2019) Global biodiesel production by country. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/274168/biofuel-production-in-leading-countries-in-oil-equivalent/

  3. Knoema Enterprise Data Solutions (2017) Biodiesel production. https://knoema.com/atlas/topics/Energy/ Renewables/Biodiesel-production. Accessed 10 Apr 2020

  4. United States Energy Information Administration (2020) Biodiesel Production by Country. https://www.indexmundi.com/energy/?product=biodiesel&graph=production&display=rank

  5. Gupta M, Kumar N (2012) Scope and opportunities of using glycerol as an energy source. Renew Sust Energ Rev 16:4551–4556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.04.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Quispe CAG, Coronado CJR, Carvalho JA Jr (2013) Glycerol: production, consumption, prices, characterization and new trends in combustion. Renew Sust Energ Rev 27:475–493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2013.06.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Baba Y, Tada C, Watanabe R, Fukuda Y, Chida N, Nakai Y (2013) Anaerobic digestion of crude glycerol from biodiesel manufacturing using a large-scale pilot plant: methane production and application of digested sludge as fertilizer. Bioresour Technol 140:342–348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.04.020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Surendra KC, Sawatdeenarunat C, Shrestha S, Sung S, Khanal SK (2015) Anaerobic digestion-based biorefinery for bioenergy and biobased products. Ind Biotechnol 11:103–112. https://doi.org/10.1089/ind.2015.0001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Zijlstra RT, Beltranena E (2013) Swine convert co-products from food and biofuel industries into animal protein for food. Animal Frontiers 3:48–53. https://doi.org/10.2527/af.2013-0014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. González R, Smith R, Blanco D, Fierro J, Gómez X (2019) Application of thermal analysis for evaluating the effect of glycerine addition on the digestion of swine manure. J Therm Anal Calorim 135:2277–2286. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-018-7464-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Pott RWM, Howe CJ, Dennis JS (2014) The purification of crude glycerol derived from biodiesel manufacture and its use as a substrate by Rhodopseudomonas palustris to produce hydrogen. Bioresour Technol 152:464–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.10.094

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Mota CJA, Peres Pinto B, de Lima AL (2017) A versatile renewable feedstock for the chemical industry. Chapter 2. Glycerol utilization. https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319593746

  13. Vivek N, Pandey A, Binod P (2015) Biological valorization of pure and crude glycerol into 1,3-propanediol using a novel isolate Lactobacillus brevis N1E9.3.3. Bioresour Technol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2016.02.020

  14. Isahak WNRW, Ismail M, Yarmo MA, Jahim JM, Salimon J (2010) Purification of crude glycerol from transesterification RBD palm oil over homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for the biolubricant preparation. J Appl Sci 10:2590–2595. https://doi.org/10.3923/jas.2010.2590.2595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Konstantinovic S, Danilovic B, Ciric J et al (2016) Valorization of crude glycerol from biodiesel production. Chem Ind Chem Eng Q 22:461–489. https://doi.org/10.2298/CICEQ160303019K

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Yang F, Hanna MA, Sun R (2012) Value-added uses for crude glycerol--a byproduct of biodiesel production. Biotechnol Biofuels 5:13. https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-6834-5-13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Chen J, Yan S, Zhang X, Tyagi RD, Surampalli RY, Valéro JR (2018) Chemical and biological conversion of crude glycerol derived from waste cooking oil to biodiesel. Waste Manag 71:164–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2017.10.044

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. García-Martín JF, Alés-Álvarez FJ, Torres-García M, Feng C-H, Álvarez-Mateos P (2019) Production of oxygenated fuel additives from residual glycerine using biocatalysts obtained from heavy-metal-contaminated Jatropha curcas L. Roots. Energies. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/4/740, Production of Oxygenated Fuel Additives from Residual Glycerine Using Biocatalysts Obtained from Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Jatropha curcas L. Roots

  19. Manosak R, Limpattayanate S, Hunsom M (2011) Sequential-refining of crude glycerol derived from waste used-oil methyl ester plant via a combined process of chemical and adsorption. Fuel Process Technol 92:92–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2010.09.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Delample M, Villandier N, Douliez J-P, Camy S, Condoret J-S, Pouilloux Y, Barrault J, Jerôme F (2010) Glycerol as a cheap, safe and sustainable solvent for the catalytic and regioselective β, β-diarylation of acrylates over palladium nanoparticles. Green Chemistry. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/GC/2010/B925021B#!divAbstract

  21. Hansen CF, Hernandez A, Mullan BP, Moore K, Trezona-Murray M, King RH, Pluske JR (2009) A chemical analysis of samples of crude glycerol from the production of biodiesel in Australia, and the effects of feeding crude glycerol to growing-finishing pigs on performance, plasma metabolites and meat quality at slaughter. Anim Prod Sci 49:154. https://doi.org/10.1071/ea08210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Thompson JC, He BB (2006) Characterization of crude glycerol from biodiesel production from multiple feedstocks. Appl Eng Agric 22:261–265. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.20272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Frimmel FH, Noble RD, Terry PA (2005) Principles of chemical separations with environmental applications. Angew Chem 117:187–188. https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.200485210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Van Gerpen J (2005) Biodiesel processing and production. Fuel Process Technol 86:1097–1107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2004.11.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Dzyazko YS, Rozhdestvenska LM, Vasilyuk SL, Kudelko KO, Belyakov VN (2017) Composite membranes containing nanoparticles of inorganic ion exchangers for electrodialytic desalination of glycerol. Nanoscale Res Lett 12:438. https://doi.org/10.1186/s11671-017-2208-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Isahak WNRW, Ismail M, Yarmo MA, Jahim JM, Salimon J (2010) Purification of crude glycerol from transesterification RBD palm oil over homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for the biolubricant preparation. Journal of Applied Sciences. https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=jas.2010.2590.2595, Purification of Crude Glycerol from Transesterification RBD Palm Oil over Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Biolubricant Preparation

  27. Carmona M, Valverde JL, Perez A, Warcholb J, Rodrigueza JF (2009) Purification of glycerol/water solutions from biodiesel synthesis by ion exchange: sodium removal Part I. J Chem Technol; Biotechnol. https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.2106

  28. Saleh J, Tremblay AY, Dubé MA (2010) Glycerol removal from biodiesel using membrane separation technology. Fuel. 89:2260–2266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2010.04.025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Kongjao S, Damronglerd S, Hunsom M (2010) Purification of crude glycerol derived from waste used-oil methyl ester plant. Korean J Chem Eng 27:944–949. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-010-0148-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Isahak W, Che Ramli ZA, Ismail M, et al (2014) Recovery and purification of crude glycerol from vegetable oil transesterification: a review. Sep Purif Rev. https://doi.org/10.1080/15422119.2013.851696

  31. Xiao Y, Xiao G, Varma A, Isahak WW (2013) A universal procedure for crude glycerol purification from different feedstocks in biodiesel production: experimental and simulation study. Ind Eng Chem Res 52:14291–14296. https://doi.org/10.1021/ie402003u

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Ardi MS, Aroua MK, Hashim NA (2015) Progress, prospect and challenges in glycerol purification process: a review. Renew Sust Energ Rev 42:1164–1173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.10.091

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Turk Sekulić M, Pap S, Stojanović Z, Bošković N, Radonić J, Šolević Knudsen T (2018) Efficient removal of priority, hazardous priority and emerging pollutants with Prunus armeniaca functionalized biochar from aqueous wastes: experimental optimization and modeling. Sci Total Environ 613-614:736–750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.082

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Alves CCO, Faustino MV, Franca AS, Oliveira LS (2014) Comparative evaluation of activated carbons prepared by thermo-chemical activation of lignocellulosic residues in fixed bed column studies. Int J Eng Technol 7:465–469. https://doi.org/10.7763/ijet.2015.v7.838

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Yakout SM, Sharaf El-Deen G (2016) Characterization of activated carbon prepared by phosphoric acid activation of olive stones. Arab J Chem 9:S1155–S1162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2011.12.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Zhu Z, Liu Z, Liu S, Niu H, Hu T, Liu T, Xie Y (2000) NO reduction with NH 3 over an activated carbon-supported copper oxide catalysts at low temperatures. Appl Catal B Environ 26:25–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-3373(99)00144-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Acosta R, Fierro V, Martinez de Yuso A, Nabarlatz D, Celzard A (2016) Tetracycline adsorption onto activated carbons produced by KOH activation of tyre pyrolysis char. Chemosphere. 149:168–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.01.093

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Elmouwahidi A, Zapata-Benabithe Z, Carrasco-Marín F, Moreno-Castilla C (2012) Activated carbons from KOH-activation of argan (Argania spinosa) seed shells as supercapacitor electrodes. Bioresour Technol 111:185–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.02.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Ubago-Pérez R, Carrasco-Marín F, Fairén-Jiménez D, Moreno-Castilla C (2006) Granular and monolithic activated carbons from KOH-activation of olive stones. Microporous Mesoporous Mater 92:64–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2006.01.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Byamba-Ochir N, Shim WG, Balathanigaimani MS, Moon H (2016) Highly porous activated carbons prepared from carbon rich Mongolian anthracite by direct NaOH activation. Appl Surf Sci 379:331–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2016.04.082

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Islam MA, Ahmed MJ, Khanday WA, Asif M, Hameed BH (2017) Mesoporous activated carbon prepared from NaOH activation of rattan (Lacosperma secundiflorum) hydrochar for methylene blue removal. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 138:279–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.01.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Ternero-Hidalgo JJ, Rosas JM, Palomo J, Valero-Romero MJ, Rodríguez-Mirasol J, Cordero T (2016) Functionalization of activated carbons by HNO3 treatment: influence of phosphorus surface groups. Carbon N Y 101:409–419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2016.02.015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Shamsuddin MS, Yusoff NRN, Sulaiman MA (2016) Synthesis and characterization of activated carbon produced from kenaf core fiber using H3PO4 activation. Procedia Chem 19:558–565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proche.2016.03.053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Giraldo L, Ladino Y, Piraján JCM, Rodríguez MP (2007) Synthesis and characterization of activated carbon fibers from Kevlar. Ecletica Quim 32:55–62. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-46702007000400008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Yorgun S, Yildiz D (2015) Preparation and characterization of activated carbons from Paulownia wood by chemical activation with H3PO4. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 53:122–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2015.02.032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Kumar A, Jena HM (2017) Adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous phase by high surface area activated carbon prepared by chemical activation with ZnCl2. Process Saf Environ Prot 109:63–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2017.03.032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Demiral İ, Aydın Şamdan C, Demiral H (2016) Production and characterization of activated carbons from pumpkin seed shell by chemical activation with ZnCl2. Desalin Water Treat 57:2446–2454. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443994.2015.1027276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Khenniche L, Benissad-Aissani F (2010) Adsorptive removal of phenol by coffee residue activated carbon and commercial activated carbon: equilibrium, kinetics, and thermodynamics. J Chem Eng Data 55:4677–4686. https://doi.org/10.1021/je100302e

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Komintarachat C, Chuepeng S (2010) Methanol-based transesterification optimization of waste used cooking oil over potassium hydroxide catalyst. Am J Appl Sci https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/407c/0888dd132d6b831086d581a6d1153d5d778c.pdf 7:1073–1078

  50. Barbosa SL, Ottone M, Santos MC, Junior GC, Lima CD, Glososki GC, Lopes NP, Klein SI (2015) Benzyl benzoate and dibenzyl ether from benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol under microwave irradiation using a SiO2-SO3H catalyst. Catal Commun 68:97–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catcom.2015.04.033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Moreno-Castilla C (2004) Adsorption of organic molecules from aqueous solutions on carbon materials. Carbon. 42:83–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2003.09.022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Marques MBF, Araujo BCR, Fernandes C, Yoshida MI, Mussel WN, Sebastião RCO (2020) Kinetics of lumefantrine thermal decomposition employing isoconversional models and artificial neural network. J Braz Chem Soc. https://doi.org/10.21577/0103-5053.20190211

  53. Brito LG, Leite GQ, Duarte FÍC, Ostrosky EA, Ferrari M, de Lima AAN, Nogueira FHA, Aragão CFS, de Lelis Ferreira BD, de Freitas Marques MB, Yoshida MI, Mussel WN, Sebastiao RCO, Gomes APB (2019) Thermal behavior of ferulic acid employing isoconversional models and artificial neural network. J Therm Anal Calorim 138:3715–3726. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-08114-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Ferreira BDL, Araújo NRS, Ligório RF, Pujatti FJP, Mussel WN, Yoshida MI, Sebastião RCO (2018) Kinetic thermal decomposition studies of thalidomide under non-isothermal and isothermal conditions. J Therm Anal Calorim 134:773–782. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-018-7568-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The authors acknowledge the financial support and scholarships furnished by the CNPq, FAPEMIG and financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil (CAPES), Finance Code 001.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri-UFVJM, Campus JK, Rodovia MGT 367-Km 583, N° 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, MG, CEP 39100-000, Brazil

    Sandro L. Barbosa, Milton S. de Freitas, Wallans T. P. dos Santos, David Lee Nelson & Maria Betânia de Freitas Marques

  2. Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University-Unesp, R. Prof. Francisco Degni 55, Quitandinha, Araraquara, SP, CEP-14.800-900, Brazil

    Stanlei I. Klein

  3. Department of Physics and Chemistry, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo University-USP, Av. Do Café s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, CEP-14.040-903, Brazil

    Giuliano C. Clososki & Franco J. Caires

  4. Universidade de Franca, Av. Dr. Armando Sales Oliveira, 201, C.P. 82, Franca, SP, CEP-10404-600, Brazil

    Eduardo J. Nassar

  5. Laboratório de Química Bioinorgânica, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil

    Lucas D. Zanatta

  6. USTAR Bioenergy Center, Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA

    Foster A. Agblevor

  7. Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal

    Carlos A. M. Afonso

  8. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul-UFMS, Av. Costa e Silva, s.n, Campo Grande, MS, 79070900, Brazil

    Adriano C. Moraes Baroni

Authors
  1. Sandro L. Barbosa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Milton S. de Freitas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Wallans T. P. dos Santos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David Lee Nelson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Maria Betânia de Freitas Marques
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Stanlei I. Klein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Giuliano C. Clososki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Franco J. Caires
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Eduardo J. Nassar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Lucas D. Zanatta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Foster A. Agblevor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Carlos A. M. Afonso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Adriano C. Moraes Baroni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandro L. Barbosa.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Barbosa, S.L., de Freitas, M.S., dos Santos, W.T.P. et al. Preparation of activated charcoal from Acrocomia aculeata for purification of pretreated crude glycerol. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 12, 2441–2449 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-020-00745-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-020-00745-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation