Preparation and pore characterization of activated carbon from Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus) by H3PO4 chemical activation

Abstract

High specific surface area activated carbon materials have been produced from the naturally occurring Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus) using phosphoric acid (H3PO4) as the activating agent. The effects of different sizes of raw materials, H3PO4 concentrations, and activation temperatures on the specific surface area, pore morphology, and mass yield of activated carbon are presented. A high specific surface area for activated carbon derived from Ma bamboo was achieved under the optimized conditions of 45 wt% H3PO4 impregnation concentration, activation temperature of 400 °C, and a holding time of 120 min. Chemical activation of Ma bamboo by H3PO4 is a useful technique for obtaining activated carbon with desired pore size distributions and pore morphologies from low cost precursors and at low activation temperatures.