Evaluation of the Physical Properties of Various Biomass Materials for the Production of Activated Carbon

Abstract

This study aims to produce activated carbon (AC) from different biomass sources using chemical activation; characterize the AC using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), proximate and ultimate analysis; and compare the results from the AC produced. The biomass blends of rice husk & groundnut shell (RH-GS), cocoa nut shell & saw dust (CS-SD) and sugar cane bagasse & banana peel (SB-BP) were used for the preparation of AC. The samples were first characterized using proximate and ultimate analysis, SEM, and FTIR spectroscopy. The results of the BG-SD sample characterization showed that the blend produced the best results in terms of absorptive capacity. It is suggested that surface area difficulties with the ACs be investigated in order to improve their porosity and adsorption capacities.