Skip to main content

Carbonization of Yerba Mate Stick with Micrometric Pores Using Home-Built Kiln

Publication Date
Authors
Author Name
Angela Maria Cuellar Felantana
Author Organization
Universidad Nacional de San Martin
Author Name
Natalia Quici
Author Organization
Centro Nacional de Energía Atómica de Argentina
Author Name
Nahuel V. Montesinos
Author Organization
Centro Nacional de Energía Atomica de Argentina
Author Name
Pablo M. Arnal
Author Organization
Universidad Nacional de La Plata

Contaminant metals represent a significant threat to global water systems, with severe implications for human health. Treatment technologies utilizing porous materials embedded with nanomaterials offer a promising approach for the effective removal of these contaminants. In this study, charcoal was produced from yerba mate sticks, a form of industrial waste. The raw material, provided by Empresa Rosamonte (Establecimiento Diez Hermanos), was pyrolyzed in a homemade furnace following the methodology reported by Long et al.4 The produced simples were thoroughly characterized using particle size análisis, elemental composition analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The resulting charcoals exhibited cylindrical, parallel pores separated by micrometric walls and interconnected by micropores within the thin walls. A reduction in the average size of yerba mate sticks was observed after pyrolysis, attributed to the contraction and fragmentation of the initial material. The process achieved a yield of 32 ± 1%, corresponding to the production of 170 ± 21 g of charcoal—two orders of magnitude higher than yields typically obtained with laboratory-scale tubular furnaces. This study underscores the potential of utilizing industrial waste for producing functional porous materials with scalable yields, contributing to sustainable solutions for water contamination challenges.

Source
5 Taller Latinoamericano de Materiales de Carbono
Additional Guidance
This is user-contributed content. Please visit the original source for the most up-to-date and complete information. Report any inaccuracies to [email protected].