Activated carbon production from the Guadua amplexifolia using a combination of physical and chemical activation

This paper presents the use of the Guadua amplexifolia bamboo specie as a precursor to obtain activated carbon using a combination of physical and chemical activation with H₃PO₄ or NaOH. The effect of different parameters such as carbonization temperature, activation temperature and activation time as well as chemical agent on the yield, functional groups and iodine number was analyzed using a full factorial experimental design and the response surface methodologies. From the analysis of variance, the most influence factor of each experimental design was identified. Moreover, the activated carbon was evaluated for the removal of non-biodegradable organic matter (COD) in leachates. The optimum conditions were obtained in the carbonized samples at 350 °C, impregnated by H₃PO₄ and thermal treatment at 500 °C during 120 min where a high surface area of ~1226.8 m² g⁻¹, a total pore volume of ~1.21 cm³ g⁻¹ and an average pore diameter of ~3.83 nm were observed. Important differences were observed in the morphology and microporosity of the activated carbons as a function of the activating conditions. The results confirm the viability of G. amplexifolia bamboo specie as precursor for activated carbon production and promising absorbents for the elimination of COD in leachates.