Preparation of carbon via heating of oil palm trunk

Abstract

Carbon source for activated carbon production has been prepared by heating of oil palm trunk waste. This research aims to produce low cost and easy preparation of carbon from oil palm trunks that employ mild carbonization process. Oil palm trunk waste was heated in a closed furnace to give carbon. The optimum carbonization temperature obtained was 250°C for 60 minutes of heating time. Apart from iodine number, the result of proximate analyses could fulfill the criteria required by Indonesian National Standard SNI 06-3730-1995 (BSN 1995) for activated carbon, i.e. 50.95% yield, 5.71% moisture, 6.57% ash, 18.55% volatile matters, and 74.88% fixed carbon, while the 401.65 mg/g iodine number is still less than the 750 mg/g required for an activated carbon.