Author(s)

Masafumi Tateda, Masaru Okura, Youngchul Kim, Bandunee C. L. Athapattu

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For practical reuse of wastewater containing citric acid and the production of safe and healthy high-quality charcoal from waste construction wood, basic data regarding the influence of citric acid washing treatments on the physico- chemical property of charcoal was investigated in order to find the benefits of using citric acid for washing out impurities of the wood, owing to its chelate bonding ability with elements such as metals. Parameters obtained for evaluating the benefits were water content, volatile component content, ash content, fixed carbon content, and the heat value of the charcoal. All parameters, except ash content, throughout all carbonization temperatures were not significantly different between the charcoal of the wood treated with and without citric acid. However, the ash content showed significant differences between the charcoal treated with and without citric acid throughout all carbonization temperatures. Regarding the heat value, the highest heat value was shown on the charcoal carbonated at 600?C with the static washing treatment. Dioxins that were higher in content than the control sample were somehow detected in the ash of the charcoal with the shaking treatment. Further investigation is needed for the production of safe and healthy charcoal using waste citric acid.

Charcoal, Waste Construction Wood, Citric Acid, Metals, Ash, Dioxins

M. Tateda, M. Okura, Y. Kim and B. Athapattu, "Production of Safe Charcoal from Waste Construction Wood Treated With Citric Acid," Journal of Environmental Protection, Vol. 2 No. 8, 2011, pp. 1134-1142. doi: 10.4236/jep.2011.28132.