Abstract
In this study, activated carbons were prepared from oil palm shells by physicochemical activation. The methodology of experimental design was used to optimize the preparation conditions. The influences of the impregnation ratio (0.6–3.4) and the activation temperature between 601°C and 799°C on the following three responses: activated carbon yield (R/AC-H3PO4), the iodine adsorption (I2/AC-H3PO4), and the methylene blue adsorption (MB/AC-H3PO4) results were investigated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to identify the significant parameters. Under the experimental conditions investigated, the activation temperature of 770°C and impregnation ratio of 2/1 leading to the R/AC-H3PO4of 52.10%, theI2/AC-H3PO4of 697.86 mg/g, and the MB/AC-H3PO4of 346.25 mg/g were found to be optimum conditions for producing activated carbon with well compromise of desirability. The two factors had both synergetic and antagonistic effects on the three responses studied. The micrographs of activated carbons examined with scanning electron microscopy revealed that the activated carbons were found to be mainly microporous and mesoporous.
Highlights
Nowadays, environmental pollution is becoming a serious problem to be faced
Oil palm shells have been successfully converted into well-developed activated carbons used for removal of various gaseous pollutants [18,19,20,21,22] but, there are not many works in the scienti c literature that report on the optimization of the preparation of activated carbons from oil palm shells impregnated with phosphoric acid
E three responses analyzed were the activated carbon yield, the iodine, and methylene blue adsorption capacities of activated carbon impregnated with H3PO4 noted, respectively, by R/AC-H3PO4 (YY1), I2/AC-H3PO4 (YY2), and MB/AC-H3PO4 (YY3)
Summary
In order to purify and keep our environment clean it requires the development of optimization tools to produce highly efficient and effective adsorbents such as activated carbon. In Cameroon, like in some tropical countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and ailand, large quantity of these wastes are generated annually [9,10,11,12,13,14]. To reduce these solid wastes, they can be used as starting materials for preparing activated carbons necessary for the removal of pollutants [6, 9, 10, 15,16,17]. Journal of Chemistry purpose, activated carbons preparation had been optimized using phosphoric acid as chemical reagent and the steam as oxidant agent. e in uence of the activation temperature and the impregnation ratio, on the activated carbon yield, the iodine and methylene blue adsorption capacities were investigated using the methodology of experimental design in order to nd out the signi cant parameters
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
