Chemical activation of walnut shells with calcium acetate. Mesoporous structure and adsorption efficiency of ovalbumin

The paper considers an approach to the processing of waste of agro-industrial raw materials due to chemical activation. To obtain a sorption material, waste was used, which is the shell of Juglansregia walnuts. The aim of the work was to develop adsorbents from walnut shells with a large proportion of mesopores, to determine the parameters of the porous structure and to study their adsorption capability to absorb egg albumin as a marker of medium molecular toxins of a protein nature. Activated carbon samples with a high mesopore content (550 m2/g) were obtained by combined activation of the feedstock. The sorption of one of the obtained samples and, for comparison, the medical product SORBEX was studied by the spectrophotometric method, and its effectiveness was proved in the absorption of egg albumin from aqueous solutions. The significant capability of the obtained sample to sorb protein (35–38 mg/g) was shown, it has been assumed that in the process of sorption, macromolecules are concentrated near the inlets into the pores of the adsorbent. It can be stated that the adsorption of albumin increases in proportion to the increase in the specific surface area of the mesopore. Using the obtained sorption isotherms, the parameters of adsorption processes were calculated. Adsorption isotherms were calculated using the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. It is shown that the maximum adsorption values calculated using the Langmuir equation are in good agreement with the experimental data.