Activated carbon production via flash heating method, characterization and its use in antibiotic removal

The use of activated carbon in the rapidly growing production with the development of modern society increased especially in the second half of the 20th century due to environmental regulations, clean gas applications, air quality control, water pollution and energy storage. The usage of activated carbon in many areas has demonstrated the need for practical, innovative alternative heating methods for large scale production. In this study, activated carbon was produced by flash heating method using different biomass waste. The characterization of the products was made, compared with the activated carbons produced by the slow heating method, and the effects of the applied flash method on the activated carbon properties were examined. Activated carbons produced by flash heating method have been used as adsorbents in the removal of antibiotics of metronidazole and amoxicillin from the aqueous solution. When the results were evaluated, activated carbons with high surface area and microporosity were obtained by flash heating method in a shorter time and at low cost. It was concluded that the activated carbons used in antibiotic removal can be also used in heavy metal removal from waste water, cosmetic, supercapasitors or cleaning products. Keywords: Activated carbon, Biomass, Flash heating, Characterization, Antibiotic adsorption