Comprehensive comparisons of iodate adsorption onto corn stalk hydrothermal and pyrolytic biochar

Pyrolytic biochar and hydrothermal biochar of corn stalk were prepared at different temperatures, and their abilities to remove iodate were compared. The characterization results show that the preparation temperature determines the degree of carbonization and the specific surface area of biochar. Pyrolytic biochar has a larger specific surface area than hydrothermal biochar, but retains fewer oxygen-containing functional groups. The adsorption capacity of hydrothermal biochar (16.87 mg g^-1) is better than that of pyrolytic biochar (10.31 mg g^-1). Corn stalk hydrothermal biochar is fully recyclable for multiple adsorption/desorption trials, which makes it extremely attractive for iodate contaminant separation. (author)