Thermally activated carbon from bovine bone: Optimization of synthesis conditions by response surface methodology

•Activated carbon was synthesized from bovine bone.•Central composite rotatable design was employed.•Optimization was performed by response surface methodology and desirability function.•Mesoporous activated carbon was obtained at optimized condition.

The present study reports the application of response surface methodology (RSM) for optimization of the synthesis of activated carbon from bovine bone (ACBop). The influence of factors; pyrolysis temperature, pyrolysis time and N2 flow, were investigated on the responses of BET surface area and mesopore volume. Variance analysis (ANOVA) of the obtained quadratic model showed that the significant factors for BET surface area were; temperature and N2 flow, and for mesopore volume were; temperature and time. The optimal conditions found from the RSM were; temperature of 450 °C, time of 110 min and N2 flow of 100 cm3 g−1, resulting in ACBop with BET surface area (SBET) of 128 m2 g−1, mesopore volume (Vm) of 0.331 cm3 g−1, and average pore diameter (Dp) of 10.32 nm. FT-IR spectrum of ACBop showed functional groups belong to its inorganic and organic portions. The high thermal stability of the ACBop was observed from TG analyses. XRD analyses indicated the crystal structure of hydroxyapatite in the materials, and SEM micrographs showed a significant change in morphological characteristics of ACBop, when compared to the bovine bone (BOV).

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