Valorisation of sugar cane bagasse using hydrothermal carbonisation in the preparation of magnetic carbon nanocomposite in a single‐step synthesis applied to chromium adsorption

Abstract BACKGROUND Sugar cane bagasse (SB) is a by‐product of the sugar industry, and obtained on large scale. In this paper, SB was used as source carbon for preparing magnetic nanocomposite (MCN‐SB) through one‐step hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC), in presence iron (III) nitrate. By way comparison, replaced by glucose HTC (MCN‐GLU), thermal treatment material then performed under an N 2 atmosphere (MCN‐GLU‐HT). The physical chemical properties nanocomposites were assessed, samples applied adsorbents. RESULTS MCN‐SB MCN‐GLU are composed oxide nanoparticles embedded carbonaceous matrix which also contain oxygenated groups. sample already after HTC, showing magnetization saturation (M s ) 5.0 emu g −1 , due to magnetite, whereas consisted hematite required additional (HT) acquire properties, with MCN‐GLU‐HT M 30.5 . turn, mesoporous structure higher specific surface area (SSA) (SSA 90 m than 53 causative factor its capacity hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)] removal (939 μg ), when compared (768 has nonporous structure. CONCLUSION results suggest that can be reused, means preparation magnetically recoverable adsorbent, good adsorption properties. © 2022 Society Chemical Industry (SCI).