Activated carbon characteristics of tabah bamboo that physically activated under different activation time

Abstract

Activated carbon is a versatile porous material that widely applied to purify, deodorize, decolorize, remove or reduce some gases harmful constituents and storage of gas. For different application different characteristics of activated carbon is required. This paper concerns to find out the characteristics of activated carbons derived from tabah bamboo (Gigantochloc nigrociliata) that physically activated with different activation holding time. Prepared tabah bamboo was carbonized by heating up to the temperature of 800 °C for two hours. The char produced was powdered and then activated physically by heating up to 800 °C, soaked at that temperature during each 1, 1.5 and 2 hours under 100 mL/min N2 flow. Activated carbons manufactured were characterized by proximate and ultimate analyses and SEM observation. The results show that the highest fix carbon (82.52%) and lowest ash (5.91 %) was obtained at 1 hour soaking time with moisture and volatile contents were 3.56% and 8.00 % respectively; the highest carbon (C) content of 84.16 % was yielded at soaked time of 1.5 hours; SEM observation shows that there were significant differences of morphology structure between raw material and activated carbons for all of the soaking time variations. The pores structures have been formed in the activated carbons produced.