Preparation of High-Performance Activated Carbon from Coffee Grounds after Extraction of Bio-Oil

In this study, a new method for economical utilization of coffee grounds was developed and tested. The resulting materials were characterized by proximate and elemental analyses, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N(2) adsorption–desorption at 77 K. The experimental data show bio-oil yields reaching 42.3%. The optimal activated carbon was obtained under vacuum pyrolysis self-activation at an operating temperature of 450 °C, an activation temperature of 600 °C, an activation time of 30 min, and an impregnation ratio with phosphoric acid of 150 wt.%. Under these conditions, the yield of activated carbon reached 27.4% with a BET surface area of 1420 m(2)·g(−1), an average pore size of 2.1 nm, a total pore volume of 0.747 cm(3)·g(−1), and a t-Plot micropore volume of 0.428 cm(3)·g(−1). In addition, the surface of activated carbon looked relatively rough, containing mesopores and micropores with large amounts of corrosion pits.