Extraction and characterization of lignin from black liquor and preparation of biomass-based activated carbon there-from

In the present study, biomass-based lignin was extracted from industrial waste black liquor and the extracted lignin was characterized by means of attenuated total reflectanceFourier transform infrared spectroscopy and H-1-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The extracted lignin was carbonized at different temperatures and then activated with steam at 850 degrees C. The extracted lignin in powder state was transformed into a bulky carbonized lignin due to possible fusion between the lignin particles occurring upon carbonization. The carbonized and then pulverized lignin exhibits brittle surfaces, the increased thermal stability, and the carbon assay with increasing the carbonization temperature. The scanning electron microscopic images and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller result indicate that the steam-activated carbon has the specific surface area of 1718 m(2)/g, which is markedly greater than the carbonized lignin. This study reveals that biomassbased activated carbon with highly porous structure can be produced from costless black liquor via steam-activation process.