Avaliação da adsorção do carvão vegetal obtido da pirólise da espécie Dipteryx alata (Baru)

Abstract

The barueiro (Dipteryx alata Vog.) Is a tree species native to the fertile regions of the Brazilian cerrado. It is one of the most promising species for cultivation due to its multiple use, corresponding to the reutilization of all its parts, from the trunk to the fruit. However, there are few studies on the use of bark and other wastes, and may become an environmental problem due to the large volume generated since this represents 90% of the total volume, generating additional costs for companies regarding the treatment of their waste. In this context, a reuse for this biomass is sought in order to add value to the waste, generate income and reduce the cost of disposal. As baru bark can be considered a lignocellulosic biomass, this makes it a viable raw material to obtain activated carbon that can be used in the adsorption of organic and inorganic compounds. Therefore, the present work had as objective the production and characterization of the baru activated charcoal service (Dipteryx alata). For the development of the study, a series of tests were carried out, from the preparation of the raw material to the production of the charcoal by the process of vacuum pyrolysis and from the adsorbent obtained, the characterization of the same, by subjecting it to the tests of adsorption and kinetic studies. The thermogravimetric analysis initially performed on the biomass indicated that 500ºC would be the optimum pyrolysis temperature. From the elementary analysis of the biomass of baru and its biochar, it was possible to perceive an increase in the carbon content, thus achieving the desired objective since in general, higher carbon contents provide the formation of a high surface area with a high pore volume to the activated carbon. Thus, from the results obtained, it can be verified that the baru residue has the necessary characteristics to be used as a viable raw material for the production of activated carbon.