Synthesis of carbon microspheres via hydrothermal carbonization of Sabal palms ( Sabal palmetto ) biomass for adsorption of methylene blue

In this paper, we report new findings on the synthesis of carbon microspheres from a biomass precursor ( Sabal palmetto ) using one-step hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process. The carbonization process involved predominantly dehydration process with partial occurrence of decarboxylation. The microspheres were analyzed using elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The produced microspheres were applied as adsorbents for sorption of an industrial dye (methylene blue) in which the data showed good fitting to the Langmuir model. The sub-micron-sized microspheres exhibited interesting textural characteristics—relatively low surface areas and porosities with presence of oxgenated functional groups (total = 0.4 to 0.5 mmol/g) on the surface. The work presented in this contribution involves themes on sustainable usage of resources (i.e., biomass), production of useful industrial microparticles, and direct application in wastewater purification.