Microwave Synthesis, Characterization and Perspectives of Wood Pencil-Derived Carbon
More than 14 billion pencils are manufactured and used globally every year. On average, a pencil is discarded after 60% of its original length has been depleted. In the present work we propose a simple and affordable way of converting this non-neglectable amount of waste into added value carbon prod...
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/410 |
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| author | Nikolaos Chalmpes Georgios Asimakopoulos Maria Baikousi Constantinos E. Salmas Dimitrios Moschovas Apostolos Avgeropoulos Athanasios B. Bourlinos Iosif Tantis Aristides Bakandritsos Dimitrios Gournis Michael A. Karakassides |
| author_facet | Nikolaos Chalmpes Georgios Asimakopoulos Maria Baikousi Constantinos E. Salmas Dimitrios Moschovas Apostolos Avgeropoulos Athanasios B. Bourlinos Iosif Tantis Aristides Bakandritsos Dimitrios Gournis Michael A. Karakassides |
| author_sort | Nikolaos Chalmpes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | More than 14 billion pencils are manufactured and used globally every year. On average, a pencil is discarded after 60% of its original length has been depleted. In the present work we propose a simple and affordable way of converting this non-neglectable amount of waste into added value carbon product. In particular, we demonstrate the microwave synthesis of carbon from the wood pencil with and without chemical activation. This could be a process stage before the final recycling of the expensive graphite core. In the latter case, irradiation of the wood pencil in a domestic microwave oven heats up the pencil’s graphite core, thus inducing carbonization of its wood casing. The carbonized product consists of amorphous carbon nanosheets having relatively low surface area. However, if the wood pencil is soaked in 50% KOH aqueous solution prior to microwave irradiation, a significantly higher surface area of carbon is obtained, consisting of irregular-shaped porous particles. Consequently, the obtained carbon can easily decolorize a methylene blue aqueous solution, can be used to make pocket warmers or gunpowder, and lastly, serves as an excellent adsorbent towards Cr(VI) removal from water, showing a maximum adsorption capacity of 70–75 mg/g within 24 h at 23 °C, pH = 3. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:48:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-10b4f143846f4a0a87fe41c04b7c756a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:48:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-10b4f143846f4a0a87fe41c04b7c756a2023-11-23T11:12:36ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-01-0112141010.3390/app12010410Microwave Synthesis, Characterization and Perspectives of Wood Pencil-Derived CarbonNikolaos Chalmpes0Georgios Asimakopoulos1Maria Baikousi2Constantinos E. Salmas3Dimitrios Moschovas4Apostolos Avgeropoulos5Athanasios B. Bourlinos6Iosif Tantis7Aristides Bakandritsos8Dimitrios Gournis9Michael A. Karakassides10Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, GreeceDepartment of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, GreeceDepartment of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, GreeceDepartment of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, GreeceDepartment of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, GreeceDepartment of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, GreecePhysics Department, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, GreeceRegional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University, Křížkovského 511/8, 77900 Olomouc, Czech RepublicRegional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University, Křížkovského 511/8, 77900 Olomouc, Czech RepublicDepartment of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, GreeceDepartment of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, GreeceMore than 14 billion pencils are manufactured and used globally every year. On average, a pencil is discarded after 60% of its original length has been depleted. In the present work we propose a simple and affordable way of converting this non-neglectable amount of waste into added value carbon product. In particular, we demonstrate the microwave synthesis of carbon from the wood pencil with and without chemical activation. This could be a process stage before the final recycling of the expensive graphite core. In the latter case, irradiation of the wood pencil in a domestic microwave oven heats up the pencil’s graphite core, thus inducing carbonization of its wood casing. The carbonized product consists of amorphous carbon nanosheets having relatively low surface area. However, if the wood pencil is soaked in 50% KOH aqueous solution prior to microwave irradiation, a significantly higher surface area of carbon is obtained, consisting of irregular-shaped porous particles. Consequently, the obtained carbon can easily decolorize a methylene blue aqueous solution, can be used to make pocket warmers or gunpowder, and lastly, serves as an excellent adsorbent towards Cr(VI) removal from water, showing a maximum adsorption capacity of 70–75 mg/g within 24 h at 23 °C, pH = 3.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/410wood pencilmicrowaveschemical activationcarbonpractical applications |
| spellingShingle | Nikolaos Chalmpes Georgios Asimakopoulos Maria Baikousi Constantinos E. Salmas Dimitrios Moschovas Apostolos Avgeropoulos Athanasios B. Bourlinos Iosif Tantis Aristides Bakandritsos Dimitrios Gournis Michael A. Karakassides Microwave Synthesis, Characterization and Perspectives of Wood Pencil-Derived Carbon Applied Sciences wood pencil microwaves chemical activation carbon practical applications |
| title | Microwave Synthesis, Characterization and Perspectives of Wood Pencil-Derived Carbon |
| title_full | Microwave Synthesis, Characterization and Perspectives of Wood Pencil-Derived Carbon |
| title_fullStr | Microwave Synthesis, Characterization and Perspectives of Wood Pencil-Derived Carbon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microwave Synthesis, Characterization and Perspectives of Wood Pencil-Derived Carbon |
| title_short | Microwave Synthesis, Characterization and Perspectives of Wood Pencil-Derived Carbon |
| title_sort | microwave synthesis characterization and perspectives of wood pencil derived carbon |
| topic | wood pencil microwaves chemical activation carbon practical applications |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/410 |
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