Adsorption of ethyl acetate by porous carbon derived from penicillin mycelial residue-coal co-pyrolysis

Abstract Porous carbon was prepared using hazardous waste and employed for the adsorption of volatile organic compounds. It can be utilized to reuse hazardous waste to enhance energy utilization efficiency. Through comparative analysis of theoretical and experimental values, a synergistic effect was demonstrated at a blending ratio of 25%. At a blending ratio of 50%, the apparent activation energy was minimized to 154.27 kJ mol −1 , which was consistent with a diffusion-controlled mechanism. Based on pyrolysis characteristic analysis, three peak temperatures from the DTG curve were selected to prepare a series of porous carbons. The maximum specific surface area achieved for the prepared porous carbon was 1865 m 2 g −1 . Three groups of samples were selected for adsorption experiments. An ethyl acetate adsorption capacity of 1075.7 mg g −1 was attained (quasi-first-order kinetics R 2 = 0.98). However, when the coal proportion exceeded 50%, the adsorption capacity plummeted to 361.52 mg g −1 , which was attributed to overlapping potential fields in micropores. This technology provides a practical solution for the efficient valorization of hazardous wastes such as penicillin mycelial residue. It converts two solid wastes into high-performance adsorbent materials for environmental pollution control, thereby reducing the consumption of virgin resources and promoting the development of a circular economy.