Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, Vol 27 No 5 (2023): 980 - 992

 

THE INFLUENCE OF H3PO4 CONCENTRATION ON THE YIELD, POROUS STRUCTURE, AND SURFACE CHEMICALS OF SARAWAK WILD BAMBOO ACTIVATED CARBON

 

(Pengaruh Kepekatan H3PO4 Terhadap Hasil, Struktur Berliang dan Bahan Kimia Permukaan Karbon Teraktif Buluh Liar Sarawak)

 

Mahanim Sarif1,*, Hashim Bojet2, Tumirah Khadiran1, Rafidah Jalil1, Puad Elham1, Nicholas Andrew Lissem2, Johari Zainudin2, Wan Ching Ching2 and Rickey Anak Dayus2

 

1Wood Chemistry and Non Wood Utilization Programme, Forest Products Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, 52109 Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia

2Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC), Jalan Stadium, Petra Jaya, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak

 

*Corresponding author: mahanim@frim.gov.my

 

 

Received: 19 April 2023; Accepted: 11 August 2023; Published:  30 October 2023

 

 

Abstract

Activated carbon (AC) is a versatile porous material with numerous applications in various industries. In this study, ACs with both specific surface area and mesoporous developed structure were prepared using Sarawak wild bamboos, i.e., Gigantochloa levis (beting) and Bambusa vulgaris (aur), as a carbon precursor. The bamboos were chemically activated with phosphoric acid (H3PO4) at various concentrations, and then carbonized using a tubular furnace at 500 °C for 3 hr under an inert nitrogen gas flow. The proximate and ultimate analyses of AC were measured. The chemical and porous structure of AC were characterized using Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results show that by increasing the H3PO4 concentration, the surface area of bamboo AC was increased. The AC yield between 58% and 62% was obtained at 1%–9% v/v H3PO4 impregnations. The highest surface area of 1319 and 1285 m2/g were obtained at 9% v/v H3PO4 impregnation of beting and aur bamboos, respectively. Therefore, ACs can be prepared using low H3PO4 impregnation concentration, but high quality ACs comparable to other ACs from different biomass with good yield and textural characteristics are also producible. This could lower the production cost of ACs from bamboo due to the use of cheap and novel raw materials from different species of bamboo by using only the minimum concentration of activating agent in the production.

 

Keywords: activated carbon, bamboo, chemical activation, surface area

 

Abstrak

Karbon teraktif (AC) ialah bahan berliang serba boleh dengan pelbagai aplikasi dalam pelbagai industri. Dalam kajian ini, AC dengan kedua-dua kawasan permukaan tertentu dan struktur liang meso telah disediakan menggunakan buluh liar Sarawak; Gigantochloa levis (beting) dan Bambusa vulgaris (aur) sebagai prekursor karbon. Buluh tersebut diaktifkan secara kimia dengan asid fosforik (H3PO4) pada pelbagai kepekatan, dan kemudian dikarbonisasi menggunakan relau tiub pada suhu 500 °C selama 3 jam dengan aliran gas nitrogen. Analisis proksimat dan unsur karbon, hidrogen, nitrogen, sulphur ke atas AC telah diukur. Struktur kimia dan keliangan AC dicirikan menggunakan, Brunauer, Emmett, dan Teller (BET), spektroskopi inframerah transformasi Fourier (FTIR) dan Mikroskopi elektron pengimbasan pelepasan medan (FESEM). Keputusan  menunjukkan bahawa dengan meningkatkan kepekatan H3PO4, luas permukaan AC buluh meningkat. Hasil AC dalam julat antara 58% hingga 62% diperolehi pada impregnasi 1% - 9% v/v impregnasi H3PO4. Luas permukaan tertinggi 1319 m2/g dan 1285 m2/g diperolehi pada 9% v/v H3PO4 impregnasi buluh beting dan aur. Oleh itu, AC boleh disediakan menggunakan kepekatan impregnasi H3PO4 yang rendah, tetapi AC berkualiti tinggi setanding dengan AC lain daripada biojisim berbeza dengan hasil yang baik dan ciri tekstur juga boleh dihasilkan. Ini boleh mengurangkan kos pengeluaran AC daripada buluh kerana penggunaan bahan mentah yang murah dan baru daripada spesies buluh yang berbeza dengan hanya menggunakan kepekatan minimum agen pengaktif dalam pengeluaran.

 

Kata kunci: karbon teraktif, buluh, pengaktifan kimia, luas permukaan

 

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