Optimization of preparation conditions of activated carbon from agriculture waste utilizing factorial design

Abstract

In this work, activated carbon (AC) was prepared from rice husk by chemical activation. AC was prepared using factorial design as a statistical tool to facilitate the process and to reach results that would not be possible changing one variable at a time. AC characterizations were performed by N2 adsorption/desorption and surface group titulation. Some AC was obtained with high surface area, up to 1593m2g−1, high mesopore volume, up to 1.22cm3g−1, and surface acids, up to 4.4mmolg−1. These characteristics are very important for AC application such as adsorption or acid catalysis. With this work, we were able to conclude that it is possible to prepare activated carbon from rice husk with high surface area, mesoporosity and surface acid groups, using factorial design as an efficient tool to plan the experiments.