Activated Carbon from Leather Shaving Waste. Part I. Pyrolysis and Physical Activation

Leather industry plays an important role in the world economy. However, the waste generated by this industry can be an environmental problem. Pyrolysis can be an alternative for reusing this waste since it generates useful liquid, gas, and solid fractions. In the present study, leather shaving waste was converted into activated carbon through pyrolysis. The bio-oil produced consisted of over 75% of nitrogenated compounds and 10% of phenols. H-2, CO, CH4 and CO2 were detected in the gas produced. The solid fraction (char - a carbonaceous material) was subjected to activation process for a porous structure development. Tests indicated that temperature (700 degrees C and 900 degrees C) had a significant effect on the burn-off and on the surface area. The high temperature tested (900 degrees C) contributed to the development of the highest surface area (241.4 m(2)g(-1)) and the highest pore volume in the pore size region of 40 angstrom.