PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON FROM OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH WASTES USING ZINC CHLORIDE

Abstract

An oil palm empty fruit bunch-derived activated carbon has been successfully produced by chemical activation with zinc chloride and without chemical activation. The preparation was conducted in the tube furnace at 500oC for 1 h. The surface structure and active sites of activated carbons were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The proximate analysis including moisture content, ash content, bulk density, pH, and pH at zero charge was conducted to identify the psychochemical properties of the adsorbent. The results showed that the zinc chloride-activated carbon has better characteristics compared to the carbon without chemical activation.