Preparation and Characterization of Activated Carbon using Rubber-seed Shell via Chemical Activation using Phosphoric Acid

• Main Author: Mohamad Zafarullah, Nairn AJ-Rashid
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS 2012
• Subjects: TP Chemical technology
• Online Access: http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/9884/1/2012%20-%20Preparation%20of%20Characterization%20of%20Activated%20Carbon%20using%20Rubber-Seed%20Shell%20via%20Chemical%20A.pdf; http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/9884/

Being known as an agricultural waste by-product, therefore the rubber-seed shell is being investigated to be used as alternative rawmaterial to produce activated carbon via chemical activation using phosphoric acid H3P04. Theinfluence of carbonization temperatures (400-600°C), impregnation ratios (1:1 - 1:20) and sample size (45um - 500um) of the prepared activated carbon on the pore development and yield were investigated. The raw materials and produced activated carbons were characterized by Nitrogen adsorption isothenns and Variable Pressure Field Emission Scanning electron microscope. Oil and grease adsorption results show that rubber-seed shell is a good precursor for activated carbon. The optimal activation temperature is: temperature 500°C, impregnation ratio of 1:10 and activation time of 1.5 hour. Characteristics of activated carbon shows H3P04 as a dehydrating agentthat moreto cleaning the surface of the activated carbon and promotes pore widening effect (1.09 nm - 6.53 nm) producing more shallow and wide mesoporous rich sites which makes a low specific surface area, thus low micropores sites. It is established that rubberseed shell is an attractive source of raw material for producing high capacity of mesoporous and macroporous activated carbon by chemical activation with phosphoric acid H3P04.