Valorisation de la coque du noyau d’abricot par la production de charbons actifs : application à la décoloration du sirop de dattes

Abstract

The food processing industries in Algeria generate large quantities of organic co-products, which remain very little valued. A valuation that could be of great economic and ecological interest. The present work had as object, the valorization of one of these co-products, which was the apricot kernel, by the production of an activated carbon from its shell, with a view to exploitation on an industrial scale. The exploitation of elaborated activated carbon consisted of its use for the decoloration of fruit extracts in order to produce decolored syrups. And this, by adsorption of polyphenols, responsible for the coloring. As a result, experimental tests were carried out, which focused on the study of the influence of certain factors on the adsorption capacity of total polyphenols by the activated carbon produced, namely, the concentration of the impregnation solution. , the weight of the activated carbon, the particle size, and the temperature. The adsorption results obtained, in comparison with a commercial activated carbon, under the same conditions, and having the same application; demonstrated an adsorption capacity of total polyphenols at equilibrium of 23.93 mg/g for commercial activated carbon, and 24.27 mg/g for the activated carbon produced, with the optimized conditions, 70% concentration of the impregnation solution, 1 g of the activated carbon produced, a particle size of less than 45 µm, and a temperature of around 20 °C.