Conversion of olive wastes to volatiles and carbon adsorbents

Abstract

Investigations for the utilization of olive stones and solvent-extracted olive pulp are carried out. Tar, solid and gas products are obtained by pyrolysis of both precursors under vacuum and atmospheric pressure. Vacuum pyrolysis causes a decrease in the solid yield and an increase in the liquid and gas yields. The identified compounds of the liquid products are predominantly oxygen-containing structures (derivatives of phenol, dihydroxybenzenes, guaiacol, syringol, vanilin, veratrol, furan, acids). Activated carbons with a developed porous structure and alkaline character of the surface are produced by steam activation of the solid product and steam pyrolysis of the raw material. Oxidation treatment with air leads to the formation of a large number of oxygen functional groups with different chemical characters on the carbon surface. Chemical activation with K2CO3 allows the preparing of carbon adsorbents with a high surface area and alkaline character of the surface.