Comparative evaluation of bone chars derived from bovine parts: Physicochemical properties and copper sorption behavior

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2020-01, Vol.700, p.134470-134470, Article 134470
• Main Authors: Wang, Mengyan, Liu, Ye, Yao, Yumei, Han, Lujia, Liu, Xian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Adsorption mechanism; Animals; Beef waste; Biochar; Bone and Bones - chemistry; Cattle; Charcoal - chemistry; Copper - chemistry; Kinetics; Models, Chemical; Pyrolysis; Solid Waste
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134470

[Display omitted] •Bone chars from different bovine parts were studied using multiple approaches.•Biochar derived from bovine ribs exhibited the best Cu(II) adsorption performance.•Cu(II) adsorption is closely related to the surface pore characteristics of chars.•The adsorption mechanism is dominated by surface chemical adsorption.•The grading of bones can improve bone char quality without chemical treatments. With the increasing demand for beef worldwide, a considerable amount of bovine bone is discharged as solid waste. Therefore, in this study, the physicochemical properties of chars from bovine bones (ribs, scapulae, vertebrae, and legs) and their copper sorption behavior in aqueous solutions were investigated. The bone chars were pyrolyzed at 500 °C and the ash contents were approximately 85.08%, although the leg bone char had significantly higher values. The rib bone char showed a larger specific surface area (172 m2/g), smaller average pore diameter (7.7 nm), and more basic functional groups than the other char types. The maximum sorption capacity varied from 72.53 to 83.71 g/kg, with the rib bone char exhibiting the best adsorption characteristics, followed by the scapulae, vertebrae, and legs. A correlation analysis demonstrated that the adsorption capacity of Cu(II) on bone char is closely related to surface pore characteristics. An adsorption kinetic analysis and physicochemical characterization of the chars indicate that the Cu(II) adsorption mechanism in bovine bone char is primarily surface chemisorption. Based on the different of physicochemical properties and sorption behavior, bone chars pyrolyzed from bovine ribs are most suitable for adsorption-related applications. The results of this study demonstrate the potential for classified utilization of animal bones, including the use of graded bone chars as low-cost adsorbents requiring no chemical pre-treatment.