Properties of activated carbon prepared from rice husk with chemical activation

Samah Babiker Daffalla, Hilmi Mukhtar and Maizatul Shima Shaharun

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2012, vol. 12, issue 2/3/4, 107-129

Abstract: The present work involves an investigation of the possible use of activated carbon developed from rice husk by chemical activation with zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) and phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) under different activation conditions for the removal of phenol from artificial wastewater. The physical and surface properties of the developed adsorbents were characterised using FTIR and SEM. A comparison between ZnCl₂ and H₃PO₄ shows that the efficiency of phenol removal by H₃PO₄ activated carbon is generally lower than that of ZnCl₂ activated carbon for both activation temperatures. After 24 hrs, removal efficiency of up to 90% could be achieved with 0.5 g ZnCl₂ activated carbon, either prepared at 500°C or 600°C activation temperature. However, for 0.1g ZnCl₂ activated carbon, an efficiency of 80% to 85% and 69% to 74% could be achieved at 500°C and 600°C activation temperatures, respectively. For H₃PO₄ activated carbon prepared at 500°C, the efficiency was 45% to 48% and 48% to 56% for 0.1 g and 0.5 g of adsorbent respectively. While for H₃PO₄ activated carbon prepared at 600°C, an efficiency of 41% to 45% and 43% to 51% could be achieved with 0.1 g and 0.5 g, respectively. The kinetics of phenol adsorption on both ZnCl₂ and H₃PO₄ activated carbons were found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

Keywords: activated carbon; phenol adsorption; rice husk; adsorbent functional groups; wastewater treatment; zinc chloride; phosphoric acid; kinetic modelling. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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