Bone waste is a problematic slaughterhouse waste typically disposed of in landfills. The pyrolyzed product of this waste shows strong potential in mine and industrial waste water remediation and work is needed to identify chemical and structural parameters which drive performance. Diffuse Reflectance Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) was used to probe carbonate (CO32−), phosphate (PO43−) and hydroxyl (OH−) environments of mineral phases and functional group chemistry in carbonaceous phase, revealing a potentially synergistic functionality between the two in bone char. CO32− and water substitutions in the mineral lattice were found to persist after pyrolysis to 750 °C, and more soluble non-apatite calcium phosphate phases were observed using second derivative analysis of the v3 PO43− band. Nitrogen-rich functional groups were found in the carbonaceous phase which are associated with complexation of aqueous metals, and ordered aromatic clusters identified by Raman spectroscopy indicate a porous carbon skeletal structure to promote metals adsorption and complexation. These results point to unique chemical and structural features of bone char which are not easily replicated by synthetic carbonated apatite or activated carbon and which contribute to the excellent aqueous metals removal power of bone char. Graphical Abstract
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.