Desalination and Water Treatment · Published 2026-04-01 · DOI 10.1016/j.dwt.2026.101767
The effective removal of environmental pollutants by activated carbon adsorption depends on the preparation of the adsorbents under suitable conditions. This research aims to evaluate the factors involved in the preparation of activated carbons from Sargassum spp. influence their physical properties to optimise their adsorption capacities. A comprehensive two-level factorial design was employed, with impregnation ratio, carbonization time, and carbonization temperature as factors, and specific surface area as the response variable. The study indicates that the most significant factor is the impregnation ratio (H4P2O7/precursor), which accounts for 58.91% and positively affects the response, followed by carbonization temperature, which accounts for 31.26% and negatively affects the response. These conditions facilitated the synthesis of micro-mesoporous carbons with specific surface areas between 315.43 and 1382.20 m²g−1. The optimal preparation parameters are an impregnation ratio of 2.4, a carbonization temperature of 400 °C, and a carbonization time of 40 min, yielding activated carbon with a specific surface area of 1382.20 m2g−1. This adsorbent, with its large specific surface area under optimal conditions, could be employed to remove various pollutants.
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