Integrated Hydrothermal Carbonization and KOH Activation of Mechanically Treated Municipal Solid Waste: Optimization of Adsorbents for BTEX Removal from Water
5 affiliations
- 1Università di Pisa , , Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1 , ,
- 2Prince of Songkla University , , , ,
- 3Università di Firenze , , Largo Brambilla 3 , ,
- 4Link Campus University , , Via del Casale di San Pio V 44 , ,
- 5Università di Firenze , , Via Santa Marta 3 , ,
Abstract
The sustainable management of municipal solid waste (MSW) remains a pressing challenge, particularly for the under-sieve fraction generated during mechanical treatment (MT), which is currently landfilled. This study proposes an integrated valorization route involving hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), followed by potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation to convert MT-MSW into activated hydrochar (AHC). Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to systematically investigate the synergistic effects of activation temperature (500–700 °C) and KOH/hydrochar impregnation ratio (0.5–1.5) on specific surface area and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) removal efficiency from water. Results demonstrate that moderate activation severity (600 °C, KOH/HC = 1.0) promotes the formation of a predominantly microporous structure (BET surface area: 440.7 m2/g; micropore area: 363.9 m2/g), achieving a total BTEX removal of 84.7%. RSM analysis showed that both activation temperature and KOH/hydrochar ratio significantly affected AHC yield and surface area, whereas activation temperature was the main statistically significant factor governing BTEX removal. Overall, the developed models provide a predictive framework for tailoring AHC properties by optimizing the activation conditions. These findings establish a viable circular solution for the upcycling of urban waste streams into engineered adsorbents for environmental remediation.
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BibTeX
@article{stefanelli2026integrated,
title = {{Integrated Hydrothermal Carbonization and KOH Activation of Mechanically Treated Municipal Solid Waste: Optimization of Adsorbents for BTEX Removal from Water}},
author = {Eleonora Stefanelli and Boonya Charnnok and Federica Barontini and Nicola Mucci and Stefano Dugheri and Cecilia Caretti and Riccardo Gori and Monica Puccini},
journal = {ACS Omega},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c09004},
url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c09004/5461792/Integrated-Hydrothermal-Carbonization-and-KOH},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrated Hydrothermal Carbonization and KOH Activation of Mechanically Treated Municipal Solid Waste: Optimization of Adsorbents for BTEX Removal from Water
AU - Eleonora Stefanelli
AU - Boonya Charnnok
AU - Federica Barontini
AU - Nicola Mucci
AU - Stefano Dugheri
AU - Cecilia Caretti
AU - Riccardo Gori
AU - Monica Puccini
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/31
JO - ACS Omega
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.6c09004
UR - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c09004/5461792/Integrated-Hydrothermal-Carbonization-and-KOH
AB - The sustainable management of municipal solid waste (MSW) remains a pressing challenge, particularly for the under-sieve fraction generated during mechanical treatment (MT), which is currently landfilled. This study proposes an integrated valorization route involving hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), followed by potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation to convert MT-MSW into activated hydrochar (AHC). Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to systematically investigate the synergistic effects of activation temperature (500–700 °C) and KOH/hydrochar impregnation ratio (0.5–1.5) on specific surface area and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) removal efficiency from water. Results demonstrate that moderate activation severity (600 °C, KOH/HC = 1.0) promotes the formation of a predominantly microporous structure (BET surface area: 440.7 m2/g; micropore area: 363.9 m2/g), achieving a total BTEX removal of 84.7%. RSM analysis showed that both activation temperature and KOH/hydrochar ratio significantly affected AHC yield and surface area, whereas activation temperature was the main statistically significant factor governing BTEX removal. Overall, the developed models provide a predictive framework for tailoring AHC properties by optimizing the activation conditions. These findings establish a viable circular solution for the upcycling of urban waste streams into engineered adsorbents for environmental remediation.
SN - 2470-1343
ER -