The Physical Activation and Chemical Activation Reaction During Synthesis of Activated Carbon from Empty Fruit Bunch

Abstract

Empty fruit bunch (EFB) has a potential to be used as raw materials to produce activated carbon due to its low cost and high availability. A two-step activation process that consists of combination of carbonization and activation is one of the suitable methods to convert raw EFB into activated carbon. In this study, the two-step activation was employed by first conducting carbonization process at 500 °C under Argon gas flow for 1 h to convert it into biochar followed by physical and chemical activation. Physical activation was conducted at 500 and 800 °C under CO2 gas flow for 1 h meanwhile chemical activation was done by mixing KOH with the carbon samples using weight ratios of 1:1 and 2:1 before it was heated at under Argon gas flow for 1 h. The resultant activated carbon samples were analyzed and characterized using weight loss analysis, Energy X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Raman Spectroscopy and Fourier Transfer Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to evaluate the physical characteristics. The result from these characterizations indicated that physical activation process yielded activated carbons with better physical characteristics compared to those of chemical activation process. This is mainly contributed by the facts that physical activation was conducted at a higher activation temperature.