LAUSR

Activated carbon (AC) was produced from sugarcane bagasse using hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and steam activation for syrup decolorization. The HTC temperature was 180–240 °C over 30–90 min of holding time and the steam activation temperature was 700–900 °C at 1 h. Results showed that dry-basis AC yield was in the range of 10.4–27.1%. The maximum Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of the product was 390 m 2 /g. The average pore size of the AC was 2.2 to 2.5 nm with total pore volume of 0.1–0.25 cm 3 /g. Decolorization tests showed that the AC produced from low-temperature HTC had better decolorization performance with maximum removal rates of 63.4% and 74% in batch-type and fixed-bed, continuous-flow decolorization, respectively. International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA) unit reduction of the produced AC was about 62%. This study shows that the AC produced can be used for low-cost preliminary syrup decolorization in sugar mills, offering circular utilization of agricultural residues.