ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Conversion of biomass and plastic wastes into activated carbon with high specific surface area: a clean and promising carbon utilization strategy

Xinxiao Zhou, Jie Cen, Zhengjia Li, Linyan Yang, and Nan Yao

Institute of Industrial Catalysis, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China

E-mail: kenyao@zjut.edu.cn

Received: 19 April 2023  Accepted: 17 August 2023

Abstract:

Reducing CO₂ emissions is an urgent requirement at present. Instead of the incineration and the landfill treatment, the conversion of biomass and plastic wastes into the activated carbon is capable of reducing CO₂ emissions and other pollutions. Such method is beneficial for environmental protection and clean utilization of carbon resources. This review thereby firstly introduces the methods used for converting the biomass and plastic wastes into activated carbon with high specific surface area. The recent advance in the carbonization and activation methods as well as their effects on the specific surface area, pore structure and other properties of the obtained carbon material are summarized in detail. In addition, this review explores the applications of obtained carbon material with high specific surface area in the fields of CO₂ adsorption, hydrogen storage and supercapacitor since they are closely related to the reduction of CO₂ emissions and clean energy. This review also proposes the challenges and future prospects of clean conversion of biomass and plastic wastes as well as improving the adsorption and electrochemical performances of the obtained carbon materials in the above-mentioned fields. It is expected that this review will present useful information on the clean conversion of biomass and plastic wastes into activated carbon with high specific surface area and its utilization potentials in the reduction of CO₂ emissions and clean energy.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: Carbon utilization; Activated carbon with high specific surface area; Supercapacitor; CO2 adsorption; Clean energy

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-023-03042-5

Chemical Papers 77 (12) 7361–7377 (2023)