The Effect of Chemical Activation Method in the Preparation of Activated Carbon from Local Phoenix Dactylifera Waste Stems

Abstract:

Local date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) waste stems were used to prepare activated carbon (AC) using KOH, NaCl and ZnCl₂ as activation agents. Carbonization was conducted at 600 °C for 2hr under nitrogen flow, followed by activation at 750 °C for 2 hr under carbon dioxide flow. AC was characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Iodine adsorption, BET, micropores, and mesopores surface areas at different carbon-to-activation-agent-ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3). FT-IR spectra results showed a reduction in AC-NaCl bands compared to other AC, which indicates less functional surface groups. At 750 °C, the TGA analysis showed the carbon yield as AC-ZnCl₂ > AC-NaCl > AC-KOH, however, among all samples, AC-NaCl at 1:2 ratio was the best in terms of iodine removal. This treated AC sample exhibited about 18.3 % maximum iodine removal, which indicates the high surface area and porosity with 550.4380 m²/g, 348.7432 m²/g, and 201.6947 m²/g BET, micropores and mesopores surface areas, respectively. In conclusion, the local Omani date palm waste stems can be used for AC production with a well porous structure using cheap and environmentally friendly salts as activation agents. In addition, the produced AC attained better adsorption characteristics among other alternatives.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1059)
• Pages: 145-155
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-bi24c2
• Online since: April 2022
• Authors: Amira Sulaiman Rashed Al Gharibi*, Farouk Sabri Mjalli, Belal Abu Tarboush, Mohammed Abdul Hakim Al Saadi
• Keywords: Activation, Activation Agents, Carbonization, Iodine Adsorption, Palm Stems

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