Ways of regeneration, reutilisation and study of new activated carbons for the production of high quality Cuba Rums: development of a new sound spectral technique to determine AC characteristics. (R-5408)

This PhD research fits perfectly within the strategic option of TANC/CMK and NuTeC/CMK as in an approved big VLIR-UOS project with UO of Cuba. Within this project, UH has two project leaders responsible for subprojects P1 and P2 dealing with sustainable matters. Beside the use of AC for the cleaning of waste waters, it can also be used for rum taste improving. The regeneration of the exhausted AC will be considered too. The production of AC from different agricultural waste streams via pyrolysis will be performed and this doctorate will lead to the development of a new analytical sound technique SSAT, able to study the characteristics of primary and exhausted AC and to compare these with classical BET analyses. This approach seems to give extra information about the ACs qualities and helps to get a better insight in its characteristics. Based on the now a days situation of the use of AC (expensive and imported) in the rum cleaning production process in Cuba, as the fact that the exhausted AC is not recycled, but dumped (huge environmental problem), this doctorate will propose alternative ACs via pyrolysis of agricultural waste streams, additionally a regeneration by superheated steam and high pressure will be used. It should lead to an AC with at least as good performance as commercial one and should result in an industrial application. Additional use of exhausted ACs from the rum improving process to clean waste streams of the metallurgical and asbestos industries will also be considered. An alternative use of the produced char (and exhausted AC) as soil amendment/fertilizer will be proposed in collaboration with MB from CMK and within the VLIR-UOS project: subproject P1 and P5.

Keywords:ADVANCED CHEMICAL ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES, ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

Disciplines:Sustainable chemistry, Aquatic sciences, challenges and pollution, Environmental science and management