Preparation of Activated Carbon from Durian Peels

The feasibility study of preparing activated carbon from durian peels by physical activation with CO{2} was investigated. Two pyrolysis conditions were employed and compared: nitrogen atmospheric and vacuum pyrolysis. After synthesis of activated carbon, influence of chemical treatment on properties of the activated carbons was investigated. The results showed that activated carbon synthesised under vacuum pyrolysis exhibited better properties than that synthesised under nitrogen atmospheric pyrolysis. Those properties included BET surface area, pore volume and adsorption capacities of iodine and methylene blue. Treatment of activated carbon synthesised from both pyrolysis conditions with 2 M HCl aqueous solution increased BET surface area, pore volume and adsorption capacities of iodine and methylene blue. FTIR spectra showed that treatment of activated carbon with 2 M HCl or NaOH solution unchanged functional groups of the activated carbon. Instead, BET surface area and pore volume of activated carbon treated with the acid solution were enhanced due to the removal of impurities.