Preparation and Characterization of Palm Kernel Shell Activated Carbons
The physical properties of steam-activated palm kernel shell activated carbons (OPSA) were determined by nitrogen physisorption at 77 K. Adsorption models such as Dubinin-Raduschkevich (DR), Brunnauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), Barret-Joyner- Halenda (BJH) and Hovath-Kawazoe (HK) are used in complimenta...
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Format: | Thesis |
Language: | English English |
Published: |
2003
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Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/230/1/549516_FK_2004_66.pdf |
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Summary: | The physical properties of steam-activated palm kernel shell activated carbons
(OPSA) were determined by nitrogen physisorption at 77 K. Adsorption models such
as Dubinin-Raduschkevich (DR), Brunnauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), Barret-Joyner-
Halenda (BJH) and Hovath-Kawazoe (HK) are used in complimentary to elucidate
the extent of micro- and mesoporosity in the complex porous structures of OPSA. The
characterization studies reveal interesting insights towards the degree of porosity,
which vary according to the particle sizes of the commercial OPSA. Appreciable
increase of mesoporosity from 15 to 39 % of the total porosity occurred as particles
size decreases from granular OPSA1 of 1.7-2.38 mm to OPSA4 of less than (0.6
mm). Scanning electron microscopy studies reveal the pore channeling effect in
granular OPSA where large openings appears as passageway to a whole network of
pores in the interior of the particle.
The flexibility of commercial OPSA in altering the physical attributes is investigated
by subjecting it to minimal treatment without requiring any chemical agents simultaneously eliminating the generation of chemical wastes. The treatments
employed are mechanical grinding and oxidation in air. A 2-fold increase in
mesopore volume is experienced when granular OPSA1 (1.7-2.38 mm) and OPSA2
(0.6-1.7 mm) are ground to smaller particle sizes of less than 0.15 mm. Interestingly,
the high fraction of micropores remains unchanged, hence, providing dual adsorption
capabilities contributed by both micro- and mesoporosity. On the other hand,
oxidized OPSA2 in air at optimum temperature of 450 oC for 3 hours resulted in a
substantial increase of mesopore volume from 0.19 to 0.33 cm3/g, whilst maintaining
the micropore volume of the structures. This enables the preservation of high
micropore volume while altering the mesoporosity properties.
Liquid phase adsorption at ambient temperature of methylene blue (MB) and iodine
were conducted to support and verify the validity of the nitrogen physisorption
analyses on the micro- and mesoporosity of the OPSA. The higher degree of
mesoporosity in the OPSA structures provides higher adsorption capacity of MB. On
the other hand, the adsorption of iodine molecules correlates to the degree of
microporosity. High accessibility to the abundant micropores in the interior of the
OPSA structure results in higher fraction of micropore coverage, thus, enabling
maximum exploitation of the internal porosity. The sorption kinetics of MB
conforms to the pseudo-second order, where rapid equilibrium phase of dye-OPSA
systems were achieved. Shorter equilibrium time was achieved in OPSA with high
mesopore volume.OPSA of higher mesoporosity were utilized in the refining of palm oil in order to
justify the importance of mesoporosity in this application. Feasible results were
achieved as performance of OPSA proven to be competitive towards other commonly
used bleaching adsorbents in the industries such as bleaching earth and synthetic
silica. OPSA exhibit high affinity towards the removal of chlorophyll in the oils.
OPSA has also shown good performance in prohibiting the formation of oxidation
products such as peroxides, conjugated dienes and trienes. This study simultaneously
highlights the effect of acid-treated activated carbons on the final quality of the oil.
This study also incorporates the compatibility of OPSA with adsorbents such as
attapulgite and silica. Overall, this study provides the physical criteria of the OPSA
to be utilized as an effective bleaching adsorbent and may serve as a useful guide in
the synthesis of better performing adsorbent from palm kernel shell activated carbons.
On the other hand, OPSA exhibit good performances in the purification of glycerin.
Higher mesoporosity in OPSA provides higher economical viability where high
mesoporosity would require lesser dosage of activated carbons than OPSA of low
mesopore volume.
In newer applications, selected OPSA are used as catalyst supports. This study
provides information on the implications of the method of preparation and
impregnation solution onto the physical properties of the supports. Vast differences
occur in the preparation of platinum on the supports of different particle sizes due to
the different porosity characteristics provided to the particular catalytic system. In
granular OPSA, development of mesopore occurs due to the structural collapse of the support when the impregnation solution is introduced. On the contrary, the support of
smaller particle size does not emulate similar porosity behaviour, where reduction in
micro-, mesopore and total pore volume occurred. |
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