Investigation of CO2 adsorption on carbon material derived from Mesua ferrea L. seed cake

•The need for utilization of by-product of biodiesel production is highlighted.•Low-cost carbon material is synthesized using Mesua ferrea L. seed cake.•The material is characterized using various techniques.•CO2 capture properties of synthesized material are investigated.•The sorption capacity is found to be 2.63 mmol g−1 at 30 °C, 1 bar.

In recent times, synthesis of valuable carbon materials via hydrothermal carbonization technique using biomass precursors for various applications has received revived interest in view of energy efficiency and sustainability. In present work, low-cost carbon material was synthesized using Mesua ferrea L. seed cake through hydrothermal carbonization method. The material was characterized using various techniques and its CO2 capture performance was investigated through a dynamic column breakthrough measurements. The sorbent exhibited a fresh adsorption capacity of 2.63 mmol g−1 at 30 °C under a total pressure of 1 bar. Both textural properties and surface chemistry influence the CO2 dynamic adsorption. The sorbent maintained an average working capacity of ∼ 2.47 mmol g−1 during eight cycles of adsorption-desorption. The experimental data can be adequately described by Yoon-Nelson kinetic model. The adsorption kinetic mechanism is further explained by applying intraparticle diffusion model to the experimental data.

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