Ca-based materials derived from calcined cigarette butts for CO2 capture and thermochemical energy storage

Cigarette butts (CBs) are one of the most common types of litter in the world. Due to the toxic substances they contain, the waste generated poses a harmful risk to the environment, and therefore there is an urgent need for alternative solutions to landfill storage. Thus, this work presents a possible revalorization of this waste material, which implies interesting environmental benefits. CBs were used as sacrificial templates for the preparation of CaO-based materials by impregnation with calcium and magnesium nitrates followed by flaming combustion. These materials presented enhanced porosity for their use in the Calcium Looping process applied either to thermochemical energy storage or CO2 capture applications. The influence of the concentration of Ca and Mg in the impregnating solutions on the multicycle reactivity of the samples was studied. An improved multicycle performance was obtained in terms of conversion for both applications.

A novel micro-sphere activated carbon synthesized from waste cigarette butts for ammonia adsorption

Waste cigarette filters mainly contain hardly degradable cellulose acetate, toxic nicotine, and traces of heavy metals, and therefore cause environmental pollution hazards when discarded. In order to convert cigarette butt waste into a valuable product, this article investigates the preparation of activated carbon from cigarette butts via a two-step process of hydrothermal reaction and a subsequent chemical activation with phosphoric acid as an activator. During hydrothermal reaction, it was found that a process of decarboxylation and dehydration cleavage of acetate occurs, leading to micron fragments and subsequent agglomeration into carbonaceous micro-spheres. The cigarette-butts-derived activated carbon micro-spheres have a high BET surface area of ∼ 1406 m2/g and NH3 adsorption capacity of ∼ 35.9 mg/g. It was revealed that the ammonia adsorption capacity tends to be positively and linearly correlated with the acidic functional group content of the activated carbon surface while negatively with BET surface area.

A comprehensive review on triple R eco-management strategies to reduce, reuse and recycle of hazardous cigarette butts

Cigarettes are the globally consumed product that contributes to public health problems and is the source of the most prevalent form of litter in the world, Cigarette butts. Cigarette butts are a major source 4000 toxic chemicals, affecting the health of wildlife, humans, and the environment and their decomposition can take years due to the resistance of cellulose acetate to bacterial and fungal degradation. In 2016, the world production of cigarettes exceeded 5.7 trillion, with the majority of them consisting of cellulose acetate filters. Consequently, a massive amount of hazardous waste leaches out in the environment. Incineration and landfilling are methods of disposal, but they can result in the emission of harmful fumes and be costly. To combat this environmental issue, researchers have explored the recycling of cigarette butts in various materials, including asphalt concrete, fired clay bricks, and as a carbon source, among others. Various approaches can be used to reduce cigarette butts pollution, but efficient collection logistics by consumers remains a crucial factor for successful recycling. This paper provides innovative solutions to mitigate the cigarette butts litter problem and the feasibility of recycling methods. Despite recent progress in cigarette butts recycling solutions, there is still much room for research in this area.