Ph.D. researcher Pallavi Saini holds a sample of eucalyptus bark during laboratory analysis at RMIT University. Credit: Will Wright, RMIT University

Eucalyptus bark, usually stripped from logs and treated as waste, could be repurposed to help clean polluted water, filter dirty air and capture carbon dioxide, according to new research from RMIT University. Researchers at RMIT have shown the bark can be converted into a highly porous form of carbon that traps pollutants as water or air flows through it. The findings point to a practical way of turning a common forestry by-product into a useful environmental material using a relatively simple processing method. The work is published in the journal Biomass and Bioenergy .

Turning waste into a filter

Porous carbon materials are already widely used in water filters, air purifiers and industrial gas treatment systems. Their effectiveness comes from their structure rather than the source material itself.

These materials contain a network of microscopic pores.…