Preparation and Characteristics of Activated Carbon from Pili Shells Pre-Treated with Phosphoric Acid to Produce Carbonized Precursor with High Yield

Abstract

Pili (Canarium ovatum) are expectable crop instead of monopolistic plantation of coconut palm in the Philippines. The shells are also usable as a raw material for the production of activated carbon. However, there are few studies on carbonization and activation of Pili shells because of high volatile matter and low fixed carbon contents compared with coconut shells. We have improved the carbonization condition through introducing a process of pre-treatment with H3PO4. Ordinal activation using water vapor was conducted. Consequently, highly developed porous activated carbon could be obtained with high yield. The micro pore size distributions (PSD) were analyzed by the Density Functional Theory. The PSD was found to be controlled by the H3PO4-treatment conditions.