Converting Iraqi Hazardous Crude Oily Sludge into Value-Added Activated Carbon using KOH Activation Technique

Saba A. Gheni; Awad E.  Mohammed; Wadood T.  Mohammed; Mahmod A.  Abdulqader; Omar A.  Habeeb

doi:10.52716/jprs.v14i1.773

Authors

Saba A. Gheni Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Tikrit University, Iraq.
Awad E. Mohammed Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, Iraq
Wadood T. Mohammed Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, Iraq
Mahmod A. Abdulqader Oil Products Distribution Company, (OPDC) Salahuldeen Branch, Tikrit, Ministry of Oil, Iraq
Omar A. Habeeb North Refineries Company (NRC), Ministry of Oil, Salahuldeen, Baiji, Iraq.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52716/jprs.v14i1.773

Keywords:

Oily Sludge (OS), Activated Carbon (AC), Pyrolysis, KOH activation.

Abstract

Annually, a high amount of hazardous oily sludge (OS) is produced by North Refineries Company (NRC) Baiji. This work aims to study the specifications of oily sludge in crude oil storage tanks and to convert it into activated carbon (AC) by pyrolysis using KOH activated agent. The physical properties of OS have been measured and analyzed. The AC is produced by carbonizing oily sludge to char under N2 flow using KOH at an impregnation ratio of 2:1 KOH/char. The pore structure, morphology of the surface, and surface chemistry of the AC produced were characterized using Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), Fourier Electron Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The result shows the surface area of the produced AC was 350 m2/g with a mesoporous structure. Based on the findings, the obtained surface area of the AC indicates the oily sludge was a light precursor, which is helpful in producing gas and liquid fuels rather than solid fuel.

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