Production of scallop shell nanoparticles by mechanical grinding as a formaldehyde adsorbent

Scallop shells, which are a waste product in the seafood industry, are disposed more than 200,000 ton per year in Hokkaido, Japan. We report effective uses and simple application for discarded shells as a formaldehyde adsorbent. The adsorption performance of scallop shells to remove formaldehyde vapor is investigated. Planetary ball milling under dry conditions and subsequent water addition realize shells with a crystallite size (35–90 nm) and equivalent size of the specific surface area (41–191 nm) in the nanometer range. The comminution properties of the scallop shells, especially the grinding limit, are estimated via a semi-theoretical consideration for the grinding limit. Additionally, the adsorbed amount of gaseous formaldehyde using a self-designed adsorption line is estimated. The nanosized scallop shells exhibit an excellent adsorption performance rather than the feed shell, and the adsorbed amount is positively correlated with the specific surface area of the shell. Hence, scallop shells have potential to adsorb volatile organic compounds.