Production, characterization and application of activated carbon from brewer’s spent grain lignin

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 101; no. 7; pp. 2450 - 2457
• Main Authors: Mussatto, Solange I., Fernandes, Marcela, Rocha, George J.M., Órfão, José J.M., Teixeira, José A., Roberto, Inês C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2010; [New York, NY]: Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: acid hydrolysis; activated carbon; Activated carbons; adsorbents; Adsorption; Alcoholic Beverages; Beers; Biological and medical sciences; Brewer’s spent grain; brewing industry; Carbohydrates - isolation & purification; Carbon - analysis; Charcoal - chemical synthesis; Chemical activation; Fermented food industries; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hemicellulose; Hemicellulosic hydrolysate; hydrolysates; Hydrolysis; Industrial Waste; Lignin; Lignin - metabolism; lignocellulosic wastes; metal ions; Metals - isolation & purification; Nitrogen - analysis; phenolic compounds; Phenols - isolation & purification; Porosity; Seeds - metabolism; spent grains; Temperature; Use and upgrading of agricultural and food by-products. Biotechnology; Lignin; Chemical activation; Brewer’s spent grain; Activated carbons; Hemicellulosic hydrolysate; Brewery; Draff; Hemicellulose; Brewer's spent grain; Hydrolysate; Activated carbon; Activation
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.11.025

Different types of activated carbon were prepared by chemical activation of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) lignin using H 3PO 4 at various acid/lignin ratios (1, 2, or 3 g/g) and carbonization temperatures (300, 450, or 600 °C), according to a 2 2 full-factorial design. The resulting materials were characterized with regard to their surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution, and used for detoxification of BSG hemicellulosic hydrolysate (a mixture of sugars, phenolic compounds, metallic ions, among other compounds). BSG carbons presented BET surface areas between 33 and 692 m 2/g, and micro- and mesopores with volumes between 0.058 and 0.453 cm 3/g. The carbons showed high capacity for adsorption of metallic ions, mainly nickel, iron, chromium, and silicon. The concentration of phenolic compounds and color were also reduced by these sorbents. These results suggest that activated carbons with characteristics similar to those commercially found and high adsorption capacity can be produced from BSG lignin.