Loquate Stones, a novel feedstock for Activated carbon production through chemical activation

Abstract

The objective of this study is to produce activated carbons with high adsorption capacities from Loquate stones. Chemical activation using phosphoric acid and potassium hydroxide was used to produce the activated carbons. Surface area of the produced carbon were determined through various methods namely adsorption from solution by using iodine, p-nitro phenol and methylene blue as solutes, adsorption from vapor phase by using hexane and ethanol vapors, and retention method by using ethylene glycol mono ethyl ether (EGME) as an adsorbate .Surface area of the produced carbons were high using iodine as adsorbate implying that the produced carbons have micro porous structure. Furthermore, adsorption isotherms of the adsorption of methylene blue and PNP were determined and found conform with Langmuir type of adsorption which indicates the micro porous structure of the produced carbons.