Abstract
Sawdust, an abundantly available waste material was utilized for the production of furfural and active carbon. The raw material was hydrolyzed with two different concentrations of (14% and 16%) HCI and H2S04 for different time periods (100 and 140 minutes) with and without added salt catalysts (NaCI, CaCl-, ZnCI2, AICI3)· The furfural was extracted by simple distillation and estimated calorimetrically. The residue left after the extraction of furfural was directly activated at 700"(, to get active carbon. The adsorption efficiency of the resulting product was measured by using iodine and methylene blue. Keywords: Saw dust, Furfural, Active carbon, Adsorption efficiency, Hydrolyzing agents, Salt catalysts, Pakistan
