Effect of CO2 Flow Rate on the Pinang Frond-Based Activated Carbon for Methylene Blue Removal

• Main Authors: Herawan, Safarudin Gazali, Putra, Azma, Yusof, Ahmad Anas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi 2013
• Subjects: TP Chemical technology; QD Chemistry
• Online Access: http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/9516/1/545948_%281%29.pdf; http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/9516/; http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/545948/abs/; http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/545948

Activated carbons are regularly used the treatment of dye wastewater. They can be produced from various organics materials having high level of carbon content. In this study, a novel Pinang frond activated carbon (PFAC) was produced at various CO2 flow rates in the range of 150–600 mL/min at activation temperature of 800∘C for 3 hours. The optimum PFAC sample is found on CO 2 flow rate of 300 mL/min which gives the highest BET surface area and pore volume of 958 m2/g and 0.5469 mL/g, respectively. This sample shows well-developed pore structure with high fixed carbon content of 79.74%. The removal of methylene blue (MB) by 95.8% for initial MB concentration of 50 mg/L and 72.6% for 500 mg/L is achieved via this sample. The PFAC is thus identified to be a suitable adsorbent for removing MB from aqueous solution.