Generator Exhausts Control in Nigeria using Activated Carbon from Discarded Rubber Tyres

Many Nigerian homes and institutions are powered by generators due to inaccessible electricity from national grid. Consequently, many people suffer from life threatening complications due to their exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning from generator emissions. Besides, improper disposal of discarded rubber wastes in Nigeria constitutes menace to human health. The purpose of this study was to develop effective system for pyrolytic conversion of discarded rubber tyres to activated carbons, which could be used as adsorbents for reducing generator emissions in Nigeria. Carbon black produced from the pyrolysis of the rubber tyres were chemically activated using potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate and hydrochloric solution of mixture of copper (I) chloride and aluminium (III) chloride, with impregnation ratios ranging from 0.67 to 2.33. The range of values for surface areas, pore volumes and pore sizes of the resultant activated carbons included 285 – 846 m2/g, 0.116 – 0.354 cm3/g, and 2.92 - 6.54 nm, respectively. The carbon monoxide reduction efficiencies of the activated carbons were very high ranging from 94.0 to 95.5% indicating the feasibility and the effectiveness of this project in finding solutions to the twin problems of carbon monoxide poisoning from generator, as well as, improper disposal of discarded rubber tyres in Nigeria. Commercial application of this project will allow effective management of discarded automobile tyres and also make locally produced activated carbon to be affordable, thereby, reducing the dependency on imported activated carbon.