A Master’s thesis in Engineering at Baghdad University, titled “synthesis and Characterization of Activated Carbon Derived from Peach stone and its Composites for Oxidative Desulfurization of Model Fuel,” was discussed on Thursday, May 22, 2025. The College of Engineering at Baghdad University witnessed the public discussion of Master’s student Esraa Hashim Abood in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Her thesis, supervised by Prof. Dr. Hayder Abdulkareem Rasheid, aimed to produce activated carbon at a low cost using peach stones as raw materials and prepare a composite material consisting of zirconium oxide/polyvinyl alcohol/activated carbon.
The catalytic performance of these materials was tested for removing dibenzothiophene from model fuel (n-hexane). The study demonstrated the possibility of using plant waste materials to produce activated carbon with high surface area and catalytic efficiency. The composite material showed high efficiency in removing dibenzothiophene through oxidation and had more active sites than activated carbon.
The research recommended studying the catalytic performance of composite materials on real oil samples to evaluate their effectiveness in removing sulfur compounds from fossil fuel. After the scientific discussion and evaluation of the thesis, the student was awarded a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
