Production of Char from Tamarind Seeds by Pyrolysis

Abstract

Char from tamarind seeds was successfully produced through pyrolysis. The influence of pyrolysis temperature (800–1000 °C), pyrolysis time (120–300 min) and flow rate of carrier gas (0.6–1.0 L/min) on the porous properties of the produced char was investigated. The effect of chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as activating agent on the porous properties of the activated carbon was also studied. The results showed that the BET surface area (SBET) of produced char decreased with increasing the pyrolysis temperature, whereas their BET surface area (SBET) and total pore volume were independent of the pyrolysis time and the flow rate of carrier gas. In addition, the porous properties of the produced char were significantly improved by the chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH).