PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ADSORBENT

OBTAINED FROM AGROINDUSTRIAL WASTE BIOMASS

Arthur Hoffmann dos Santos ¹; Joana de Souza Mücke ¹, Aline Krum Ferreira ², Luís Antonio
Mazzini Fontoura ³, Samuel José Santos ³; Irineu Antonio Schadach de Brum 4

Abstract
The increasing demand for low cost alternatives for wastewater treatment, with the adequate waste
disposal, makes the use of vegetal biomass a viable and environmentally correct alternative as
adsorbent for wastewater treatment. In Brazil there is a great production of peanuts, producing 466.2
thousand tons in 2016/2017 harvest, and the peanut shells are considered an agroindustrial residue
that can be used as an adsorbent. This work focused on the use of agroindustrial peanut shells to
prepare an organic adsorbent and in the characterization of the prepared adsorbent. The methods
used in the analysis were based on physical-chemical assays and Fourier transform infrared
spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that the use of the peanuts biomass as adsorbent can be
applied due its properties, which are able for adsorption applications.

Keywords: Biomass; Biosorbent; Water and wastewater treatment; Waste management.



Introduction make them a viable option for aquatic pollutants

The increasing demand for low-cost
alternatives to effluent treatment, coupled
with adequate waste disposal makes the use of
plant biomass from agro-industrial waste a
viable solution, economically feasible and
environmentally friendly processes. A large
variety of low-cost adsorbents have been
examined for their ability to remove various
types of pollutants from water and
wastewater, and, in general, an adsorbent can
be assumed as ‘‘low cost’’ if it requires little
processing, is abundant in nature, or is a by-
product or waste material from the industry.
Agricultural waste materials are economic and
eco-friendly due to their chemical
composition, as well their abundant
availability, renewable nature and low cost
remediation. Agricultural by-products usually are
composed of lignin and cellulose as major
constituents and may also include other polar
functional groups, as alcohols, aldehydes,
ketones, carboxylic, phenolic, and ether groups.
These groups have ability to bind aquatic
pollutants through different mechanisms. As
renewable resources and agro-industrial wastes,
they are a promising resource for environmental
technology if applied in water and wastewater
treatments [1].
Peanut shells are an agroindustrial residue that
can be used as an adsorbent [2]. In Brazil, peanut
(Arachis hypogaea L.) has a production of 466.2
thousand tons in 2016/2017 harvest [3], being
promising the use as biosorbent through peanut
shell waste due to large production, and also to

________________
1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Minas, Metalúrgica e de Materiais – PPGE3M, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
(UFRGS), arthurhoffs@hotmail.com, joana.mucke@gmail.com. 2. Laboratório de Processamento Mineral, Departamento de Metalurgia, Escola de
Engenharia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), aline.krum@hotmail.com 3. Centro de Pesquisa em Produto e Desenvolvimento
– CEPPED, Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), lmazzini@uol.com.br 4. Departamento de Metalurgia, Escola de Engenharia, Universidade
Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), irineu.brum@ufrgs.br.

Local: FIEP - Federação das Industrias do Estado do Parána.

Curitiba /PR - Brasi
provide environmentally appropriate for waste
of this production. In this context, this work
focused in the use of agro-industrial waste of
peanut shell for preparation of an adsorbent in
natura, and the characterization of prepared
adsorbent.
Materials and Methods
Agroindustrial waste biomass
The agroindustrial waste of peanut shells used
in this study was collected from a peanut and
glucose processing company, located in the
municipality of Santo Antônio da Patrulha,
Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil.
Adsorbent preparation
The agroindustrial waste was first washed
several times with water to remove dirt and
dried in the oven at 50°C for 24 hours. The
peanut shells (PS) biomass was selected after
drying. Twigs and straw were removed from
the shells, aiming to work only with the
peanut shells. The PS were grounded and
sieved to obtain particles between 42 and 60
mesh.
Adsorbent characterization
The adsorbent was characterized and the
physical-chemical parameters were realized to
obtain information about the studied biomass,
contributing to a better responses
understanding of adsorption process. And it
was realized characterization in Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in
order to identify the major functional groups
present in peanut shell.
Pshysical-chemical parameters
The physical-chemical parameters
investigated were moisture, volatile material,
ashes and fixed carbon. It was performed
based on Brazilian standards NBR-8293,
Local: FIEP - Federação das Industrias do Estado do Parána.
Curitiba /PR - Brasi
NBR-8289 and NBR-8290.
FTIR
The FTIR spectra was recorded in mid IR region
in the range of 4000 to 400 cm−1.
Results and Discussion
Pshysical-chemical parameters
The PS physical-chemical compositions are
shown in Table 1, which shows results that are
typical of organic materials, as in the case of the
biomass residue used in this study.
Table 1. PS physical-chemical composition used
in this study.
Parameter Composition %
Moisture 8,96%
Volatile Material 76,54%
Ashes 3,04%
Fixed Carbon 20,41%
FTIR
The FTIR spectra is shown in Figure 1. The
broad and intense peak around 3310 cm-1
corresponds to O-H stretching vibrations, and it
was also possible to identify the presence of
methylcellulose by detecting C-H in absorption
bands located on the spectrum at 2920 cm-1. The
peak observed at 1625 cm-1 is attributed to
carbonyl of primary amides. The band centered
on 1050 cm-1 belongs to the upper vibration C-O
of primary and secondary alcohol respectively.
The band at 1750 cm-1 represents the draw ratio
C=O indicating the presence of ester and the
band at 1300 cm -1 is due to the C-O stretch of
the carboxylic group. These functional groups are
characteristic functional groups presents in
cellulose and lignin, components present in PS.
Polar groups, such as hydroxyls, carboxylic acids
and amines, are quite common in lignocellulosic
materials. These groups have a well-known
affinity for metals, promoting a better interaction
between the metal ion and the surface of the
adsorbent [4]. ambientais. Imprensa Universitária. Fortaleza, 2014.
Brasileira de Ciência do Solo, 2005. 100p.
Figure 1. FTIR spectra of PS.

Conclusion
This study presented that the use of an
agroindustrial waste biomass as adsorbent
may be applied due its property. In the case of
this study, was evaluated the physical-
chemical parameters and functional groups,
showing properties that is good for adsorption
applications.

Acknowledges
Laboratório Multitécnicas do Instituto de
Química da UFRGS.

References
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[2] BOUMCHITA, S., LAHRICHI, A.,
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Adsorção: Aspectos teóricos e aplicações

Local: FIEP - Federação das Industrias do Estado do Parána.

Curitiba /PR - Brasi
Local: FIEP - Federação das Industrias do Estado do Parána.
Curitiba /PR - Brasi