Synthesis and Characterization of Nano-Activated Carbon from El Maghara Coal, Sinai, Egypt to be Utilized for Wastewater Purification

This study targeted to evaluate the availability of extraction the nano-activated carbon from el maghara coal that represents as Jurassic coal deposits in the Maghara area, Sinai, Egypt to be utilized as adsorbent material for methyl orange dye decontamination from polluted wastewater. Nano-activated carbon was prepared through the alkaline and acidic activation of el maghara coal with potassium hydroxide and phosphoric acid respectively at different conditions such as activation temperature, activation time and activating agent/ carbon ratio. The maximum removal for methyl orange with the extracted nano-activated carbon was recorded to be 90%. This efficient nano-activated carbon was synthesized through the reaction of el maghara coal with potassium hydroxide with 1:2 weight ratios for 90 minutes. Then the yielded powder material was carbonized at 600ºC for 90 minutes. The physical and chemical characteristics of raw coal and the most efficient extracted nano-activated carbon material were examined using different techniques such as scanning electron microscopic and infrared spectroscopy analysis. The different factors affecting the methyl orange treatment process onto the most efficient prepared material will be optimized using the batch technique. The equilibrium time for dye sorption process onto the prepared nano-activated carbon was established at 120min. the improvement at both the agitation speed and the material dosage has positive effect on the dye sorption process. The maghara coal was establish to be suitable resource for Nano-ctivated carbon extraction as an adsorbent after alkaline and thermal activation of the raw el maghara coal for the removal of methyl orange dye from polluted industrial wastewater.