Centre for Physical and Chemical Research and Analysis at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan:

Kh. S. Tasibekov, Associate Professor, Candidate of Chemical Sciences Zh. Zh. Bekishev, Research Fellow, e-mail: zhenis_bekishev@mail.ru
T. N. Khavaza, Master of Science, PhD Student
R. R. Tokpaev, Head of the Laboratory, Candidate of Chemical Sciences

In the present work, activated carbons from wheat grain production waste (WGPW), modified by 3, 5 and 7 % wt. ammonium nitrate, were obtained by heat treatment in an inert argon atmosphere and subsequent activation with superheated water vapor. The temperature of 750 ^oС is the optimal temperature of carbonization (pyrolysis) and activation of the WGPW for obtaining a carbon-containing sorbent with the highest iodine adsorption value of 53.74% from the 0.7-mm-sized crude fiber of the WGPW. The impregnation of NH₄NO₃ in the amount of (3.0, 5.0 and 7.0%) into the composition of the initial charge of the WGPW, which is the optimal condition for the chemical modification of the obtaining carbon sorption material. Their main adsorption characteristics (specific surface area, adsorption activity of iodine and methylene blue), as well as surface morphology were studied using the scanning electron microscopy method. Activated carbon, based on the wheat grain production waste (WGPW) with 7% wt. NH₄NO₃ (Activated Carbon-7) — 213 m²/g, 53.74% and 138 mg/g respectively, has a high specific surface area, adsorption activity of iodine and methylene blue. The obtained photomicrographs of various sizes prove that the studied sorbing agents preserve the non-degraded body of the porous hackberry of plant tissue with a pore diameter of 1–10 μm. Cultural treatment of the initial charge with ammonium saltpeter (NH₄NO₃) improves the selectivity of the obtained sorbing agent for the rhenium sorption. The derived sorbing agents were studied in the processes of static sorption of rhenium from simulated solution. Activated carbon-7 showed a high degree of rhenium recovery from simulated solution — 99 %.

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