Abstract
This study explores the use of a novel activating agent and demonstrates the production and characterisation of activated carbon (AC) from a combine palm waste (CPW) in 3:2:1 proportion by weight of empty fruit bunch, mesocarp fibre and palm kernel shell. The resulting biomass was processed by a microwave-assisted method using trona and compared with material produced by conventional routes. These results demonstrate the potential of trona ore as an activating agent and the effectiveness of using a combined palm waste for a single stream activation process. It also assesses the effectiveness of trona ore in the elimination of alcohol, acids and aldehydes; with a focus on increasing the hydrophilicity of the resultant AC. The optimum results for the conventional production technique at 800 °C yielded a material with SBET 920 m2/g, Vtotal 0.840 cm3/g, a mean pore diameter of 2.2 nm and an AC yield 40%. The optimum outcome of the microwave assisted technique for CPW was achieved at 600 W, SBET is 980 m2/g; Vtotal 0.865 cm3/g; a mean pore diameter 2.2 nm and an AC yield of 42%. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry analyses showed that palm waste can be combined to produce AC and that trona ore has the capacity to significantly enhance biomass activation.
Highlights
Environmental safety has become an increasing global concern in the last three decades.In developing countries, water pollution due to the presence of heavy metals are a threat to both flora and fauna and especially aquatic life [1], and plants [2]
Most activated carbon (AC) produced are from a mono-precursor, this study investigated the preparation of AC from combined waste of palm kernel shell (PKS), mesocarp fibre (MF) and empty fruit bunch (EFB) using microwave system and demonstrates the viability of crude trona ore, and evaluates the effects of the irradiation power and impregnation ratio (IR)
Palm waste in a combined form can be an effective feedstock for the production of AC with trona ore
Summary
Environmental safety has become an increasing global concern in the last three decades.In developing countries, water pollution due to the presence of heavy metals are a threat to both flora and fauna and especially aquatic life [1], and plants [2]. Water contamination by heavy metals has become an increasing problem due to industrialization [3] and this together with the use of pesticides, fungicides, and manufacture of paints, paper and welding activities can contaminate the environment [4]. These heavy metals can be removed by treatment with activated carbon (AC), which is a carbonaceous adsorbent with enhanced porosity and a very high surface area [5,6]. Waste biomass is an important alternative to coal as a rich carbon source and in particular, the wastes associated with the production of the 76 million metric tonnes (MT) of palm oil are of particular importance as they represent about
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