memoire Ngoy Mbayo Honoré 2

This study focuses on the engineering of the carbonization and chemical activation process of sawdust for its use in the treatment of water from the Bel Air district in Kolwezi. It is based on the observation that some of the studied water samples exhibit variable physicochemical characteristics and contain trace metal elements. The main objective was therefore to assess the possibility of treating these waters by adsorption using activated carbon produced from a locally available material. The sawdust was collected from local woodworking shops, characterized by granulometry, moisture, ash content, volatile matter, and fixed carbon. After preparation, the sawdust was impregnated with a phosphoric acid solution at different impregnation ratios and then subjected to carbonization-activation. The resulting carbons were washed, dried, and characterized by yield, moisture and ash content, zero-point charge pH, as well as iodine and methylene blue adsorption tests. Water samples taken at seven points were analyzed before and after treatment. Results show significant reductions in several parameters, particularly turbidity, conductivity, TDS, and TAC for several samples. Changes in the concentrations of trace metal elements were also observed after treatment. This study thus demonstrates the feasibility of using sawdust to produce activated carbon for water treatment.