Characterization of Activated Carbon from Sugar Cane Husk

Abstract:

Interface adsorption of gases and liquid on a clean solid surface could be due to the physical or chemical adsorption. In this study, the activated carbon was prepared from sugar cane husk (powder and granular form) using phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) as activating agent. Sample was activated at 500°C for two hours in the furnace and washed using vacuum method. Besides, surface area of activated carbon was defined using Single Point Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) Nitrogen Gas. The physico-chemical characteristics of the prepared activated carbon were characterized by Fourier-Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), gravimetric method, and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The adsorption study by surfactants, namely CTAB (cationic) and TX-100 (non-ionic) were investigated. The experimental results showed that a good activated carbon was prepared from sugar cane husk granular (SCH-G) gave the highest BET surface area of 860.18 m²/g and the adsorption capacity of SCH-G activated carbon at 25°C using TX-100 (205.81 mg g^-1) was greater compared to the CTAB (108.20 mg g^-1). This study has shown that the sugar cane husk was a good activated carbon and has potential to be used as adsorbent for the removal of surfactants from aqueous solutions.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 699)
• Pages: 1006-1011
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.699.1006
• Online since: November 2014
• Authors: Nurul’ Ain binti Jamion*, Siti Mazleena binti Mohamed
• Keywords: Activated Carbon, CTAB, Phosphoric Acid (H₃PO₄), Surface Area, TX-100

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