Preparation and Properties of Activated Carbon from Palm Shell by Potassium Hydroxide Impregnation: Effects of Processing Parameters

Abstract

The preparation and characterization of activated carbons (ACs) produced from palm shells, a carbonaceous agricultural solid waste, via potassium hydroxide (KOH) impregnation were studied. The effects of processing parameters: activation temperature (500-1000°C), KOH/char ratio (1:1-3:1) and activation duration (1-3 h) on the properties of the prepared ACs were investigated. These properties included yield, pore development, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area (SBET), iodine number, methylene blue (MB) adsorption, composition, and surface chemistry and morphology. The optimum conditions for activation were KOH/char ratio of 2:1 at a temperature of 900°C for duration of 1 h. Under these conditions, ACs with maximum SBET, micropore volume (Vm ) and total pore volume (VT) of 1643 m2 g-1, 0.899 cm3 g-1 and 0.978 cm3 g-1, respectively were obtained, with iodine number and MB adsorption of 871 and 54% respectively. Experimental results showed that it was feasible to produce ACs with a high surface area and high adsorption capability from palm shells.