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Updated: Oct 23, 2025

Physical, Chemical and Biological Characterization of Six Biochars Produced for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites
Published on: November 28, 2014
Chemical aging of hydrochar improves the Cd2+ adsorption capacity from aqueous solution
Detian Li1, Hongbiao Cui2, Yueqin Cheng3
1School of Earth and Environment, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, 232001, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in Downstream of Yangtze Plain and Key Laboratory for Crop and Animal Integrated Farming of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China; Institute of Environment-friendly Materials and Occupational Health, Anhui University of Science and Technology (Wuhu), Wuhu, 241003, China.
Abstract:
Hydrochar (HC) serves as a promising adsorbent to remove the cadmium from aqueous solution due to porous structure. The chemical aging method is an efficient and easy-operated approach to improve the adsorption capacity of HC. In this study, four chemical aging hydrochars (CAHCs) were obtained by using nitric acid (HNO3) with mass fractions of 5% (N5-HC), 10% (N10-HC), and 15% (N15-HC) to age the pristine HC (N0-HC) and remove the Cd2+ from the aqueous solution. The results displayed that the N15-HC adsorption capacity was 19.99 mg g-1 (initial Cd2+ concentration was 50 mg L-1), which increased by 7.4 folds compared to N0-HC. After chemical aging, the specific surface area and oxygen-containing functional groups of CAHCs were increased, which contributed to combination with Cd2+ by physical adsorption and surface complexation. Moreover, ion exchange also occurred during the adsorption process of Cd2+. These findings have important implications for wastewater treatment to transform the forestry waste into a valuable adsorbent for Cd2+ removal from water.
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