Surface Area Determination of Biochars

Session 1, Virtual Room 2: (Micro)Waves & Biochars

Activated carbon is and has been one of the most efficient agents applied in drinking water and wastewater treatment due to its high surface area of about 1000 m2/gram. However, commercially produced activated carbon can be expensive and is normally produced from non-renewable sources. The creation of biochars from readily available waste materials like coconut shells, date pits and corn husks, may provide a viable alternative to expensive commercially available activated carbons. In order to optimize the preparation of these biochars, reliable determination of the surface area is necessary. So, how does one determine the surface area of a porous substance with different pore sizes? Our research group has used three different methods to evaluate the surface areas of commercial carbon and several lab prepared biochars.