Physicochemical Properties of Activated Carbons Produced from Coffee Waste and Empty Fruit Bunch by Chemical Activation Method

Vilaysit Thithai, Xuanjun Jin, Muhammed Ajaz Ahmed and Joon-Weon Choi
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Vilaysit Thithai: Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology, Department of Green Ecosystem Engineering, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang 25354, Gangwon-do, Korea
Xuanjun Jin: Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology, Department of Green Ecosystem Engineering, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang 25354, Gangwon-do, Korea
Muhammed Ajaz Ahmed: Institute of Green-Bio Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang 25354, Gangwon-do, Korea
Joon-Weon Choi: Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology, Department of Green Ecosystem Engineering, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang 25354, Gangwon-do, Korea

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: In this study, coffee waste (CW) and empty fruit bunches (EFB) were employed as precursors for the production of activated carbons by a chemical activation method. KOH, ZnCl 2 , and H 3 PO 4 were used as activating agents along with their three mixing ratios of 1:0, 1:1, 1:3, w / w, and carbonization temperatures of 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C were used to prepare these activated carbons. The highest yields of produced activated carbons were observed at 600 °C with a value of 45.20% for coffee waste and 48.20% for empty fruit bunch, with a 1:3 w / w (H 3 PO 4 ) ratio. However, the maximum specific surface area was 3068 m 2 g −1 , and 2147 m 2 g −1 obtained at 800 °C for coffee waste and empty fruit bunch activated carbons, respectively. The surface features of these products exhibited acute morphological changes, as were clearly noticed via SEM studies. Moreover, in the Van Krevelen diagram, it was also observed that both the H/C and O/C ratios were dramatically decreased to 0.0019 and 0.0759, and 0.0066 and 0.1659 for coffee waste and empty fruit bunch at 800 °C with a (1:3) potassium hydroxide and zinc chloride ratio, respectively, and this similar phenomenon was also supported by a thermal gravimetric analysis. All these results, together with the specific characteristics of the products, suggest that this scheme can be an effective strategy for the activated carbon production from such residues.

Keywords: coffee waste; empty fruit bunch; activated carbon; chemical activation; activating agent; specific surface area; pore volume (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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