Synthesis and Characterisation of Activated Carbon Particles from Plant Stems as Waste Water Recovery Medium

Project Title

Synthesis and Characterisation of Activated Carbon Particles from Plant Stems as Waste Water Recovery Medium

Project Area of Specialization Mechanical EngineeringProject Summary

Pakistan is labeled as a water-scarce country. According to PCRWR and UNDP, Pakistan might run out of water by the end of 2025. In light of all these conditions, it is our responsibility to use a cheap recycling medium to avoid water wastage. Our research work titled 'Synthesis and Characterisation of Activated Carbon Particles from Plant Stems to act as a Waste Water Recovery Medium'  will focus on using  Activated Carbon (AC) - a porous material made out of carbon activation to form micropores and mesopores on its surface that gives AC its high adsorption capability -  to purify wastewater and reuse it in different recovery applications. Our major focus area will be on comparing the two distinct plant stem sources: Conocarpus and neem prunings, to identify which one of the sources will produce better AC and effectively fulfill its purpose in water purification.

Project Objectives

1. To study the characterization and adsorption capability of activated carbon. 
2. To evaluate the performance of two distinct plant stem sources of activated carbon: Conocarpus and Neem prunings.
3. To declare which of the sources is comparable to commercially available imported Activated Carbon products.
4. Publication of high-quality research papers. 
5. The first step towards the development of cheap and effective Activated Carbon in Pakistan to be used in different applications.

Project Implementation Method

• Cut out Conocarpus and Neem Stems from their prunings.
• Dried them under a sun-exposed ambient environment.  
• Cooking the respective plant samples in the oven at 700C.-800C for 5-6 hours.
• Pulverized the carbonized sample to reduce the size into powder form.
• screened out the samples to obtain a uniform size.
• Performed Chemical Activation of the samples by KOH to improve the pore size of the sample for better adsorption capability
• performed various tests like:
  • iodine test to quantify the adsorption surface area of the samples,
  • methylene blue test to compare the adsorption capacity by performing the spectroscopy of the sample.
  • Decolorizing Textile waste to check the adsorption capability of the samples.
• Characterization of the sample:
  • SEM to obtain information about the samples' surface topography and composition.
  • TEM to obtain information about the samples' structure and morphology.
  • BET to obtain information about the samples' pore surface area
  • XRD to obtain information about the chemical constituents of the sample.

Compiling the results of both the stem samples and comparing them with commercial activated carbon. Through 

Benefits of the Project

• Cheap Activated Carbon production using wasted sources in Karachi.
• Saving foreign exchange used to import activated carbon.
• Using a renewable source to make activated carbon such as garden pruning and fruit peels.
• Activated carbon can serve as Passive low-cost filter media so they reduce energy consumption compared to RO plants.
• Our final product can be used for many water-saving applications like:
  • Recycling water waste in the Textile Industry as it is one of the biggest industry of Pakistan in earning foreign exchange. 
  • It can be used to purify waste/tap water to make it drinkable.
  • It can be used as a cheap recycling medium of greywater in the mosque.
  • Purifying chemicals for the electrolysis process
  • Can be used to treat the boiler water by normalizing its hardness.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

This research work will lay the foundation for preparing an economical method of wastewater purification. The experimental results will guide us in identifying the relevant source among the two to be used as a medium of wastewater purification compared to commercially available products. Our groundwork will lead to the potential production of Activated Carbon in our own country hence saving the foreign exchange. 

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry HealthOther Industries Energy Core Technology Clean TechOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for People, Clean Water and Sanitation, Responsible Consumption and ProductionRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	79385
Thermocouple	Equipment	1	4000	4000
Coal	Miscellaneous	16	70	1120
Firewood	Miscellaneous	10	50	500
Kerosene Oil	Miscellaneous	2	110	220
Stove	Equipment	1	2500	2500
Tripod stand	Equipment	1	1500	1500
Extension Wire	Equipment	1	500	500
Tin	Equipment	4	100	400
Air tight boxes	Equipment	4	125	500
Zip lock bags	Equipment	20	25	500
Petri Dish	Equipment	2	180	360
X-ray powder diffraction	Equipment	2	5000	10000
Final Report Printing	Miscellaneous	25	11	275
Final Report Binding	Miscellaneous	2	150	300
Transportation	Miscellaneous	1	7500	7500
Mortar and Pestle	Equipment	1	350	350
Sieve	Equipment	1	50	50
Laboratory Disposable Gloves	Equipment	2	250	500
Plastic Gloves	Equipment	1	100	100
Scanning Electron Microscope	Equipment	2	5000	10000
Brunauer–Emmett–Teller	Equipment	2	5000	10000
Spectrophotometry	Equipment	2	5000	10000
Sodium Thiosulphate solution	Equipment	40	5	200
Iodine Solution	Equipment	300	7	2100
Hydrochloric Acid Solution	Equipment	50	7	350
Methylene Blue	Equipment	180	7	1260
Burrette	Equipment	1	9000	9000
Beaker	Equipment	2	1000	2000
pipette	Equipment	1	300	300
Volumetric Flask	Equipment	1	3000	3000