The College of Engineering at the University of Baghdad held the public defense of the Master’s student Dhuha Hameed Hamad from the Department of Chemical Engineering, for her thesis entitled “Preparation of Activated Carbon from Particleboard for the Removal of Ciprofloxacin” on Thursday, August 28, 2025, in the hall of Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Omar, Department of Chemical Engineering, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Hayder Abdul Kareem Rasheed.
This study focused on the adsorption of ciprofloxacin using a low-cost method, as adsorption has become one of the most common techniques in water treatment. The present work aimed to produce activated carbon from particleboard waste using two activating agents (potassium hydroxide and zinc chloride) to achieve high removal efficiency.
The findings demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining high removal efficiency through the use of activated carbon derived from particleboard. Characterization results revealed variations in the properties of the two prepared samples. The surface area of the zinc chloride–activated carbon was approximately twice that of the potassium hydroxide–activated sample. Moreover, the zinc chloride–activated carbon exhibited the highest adsorption capacity according to the Langmuir model, reaching 454 mg/g, compared to 200 mg/g for the potassium hydroxide–activated sample. Experimental results showed comparable values, with the best adsorption capacity of 220 mg/g for zinc chloride–activated carbon and 206 mg/g for the potassium hydroxide–activated sample.
The study concluded with several recommendations, including the possibility of investigating other activating agents, studying the effect of multiple pollutants, and applying the system in a continuous mode.
After the scientific discussion and evaluation of the thesis by the examining committee, the researcher was awarded the Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
